Final Fantasy IX The Next Generation
by MAYFLY01
Summary: Set 23 years after FF9. The story of a girl with a horn and a tail, surviving in a battle scarred Gaia and discovering who she is, making friends and meeting hero's of the past along the way. Sequel to FF9 with action/romance/humour. OC story. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Final Fantasy IX**

**The Next Generation**

**Prologue**

Mist had once had engulfed the world of Gaia after a short leave of absence over one continent. It spread fear, depression and anxiety into those who lived within its foggy depth. Monsters thrived in the dull, empty presence of the mist.

The source of the mist was a tree from a foreign world that existed within Gaia and had done for thousands of years. The intentions of people who had been in deep slumber were taking shape. One man had created an entire dimension based on memories, now loomed above the great Iifa Tree, driven mad by his own fate.

But a group of eight rose to challenge him. After what seemed to be victory, they were faced with evil itself. After hearing the views of life from one man, the evil deity suffered defeat, returning from whence it came.

23 years have passed since that fateful day. What was predicted would be a peaceful future had become a battle scared landscape. What once were tranquil villages and towns was now ruin. People travelled the world to escape from the horrors of what happened to Gaia. War raged in the mainland, bringing suffering and loss to those caught in the gory stampede of selfish minds of cold hearted men and women.

But what made this particular world so unusual, was not the loss of joy and the emergence of conflict, or the violence man dooms itself upon, or the new dangers that plague the face of Gaia. But the fact that peace and prosperity's only hope is a single 17 year old girl who is completely oblivious as to what she is...

**Chapter 1**

New found villages and towns now scattered small islands and peninsula's that were once uninhabited. Among these communities was Merridor, a small, back water village on one of the islands south of the Forgotten Continent. Families and friends lived in harmony, away from the troubles of the mainland. It is home to farmers, blacksmiths as well as others. One middle aged couple lived near the water fall, a cherished monument of the village.

"Julie! Where are you! Julie!" cried Ivan from the front yard. Julie opened the kitchen window and leaned out to her husband.

"Stop shouting Ivan! I can hear you! What is it?" she asked.

"How long is Kiara going to be? On top of that, where did she even go!"

"Oh for goodness sake, Ivan. You know full well she's gone to the square to check on stall prices. She only told you 8 times!"

"Well, obviously she didn't make it clear when she would be back!"

"Don't get in a strop! She's young, you know her, she'll have got side tracked."

"She said she'd be here to help with the chocobo stable."

"Just relax, she'll be here soon."

A few minutes later, a young, blonde haired girl appeared running down the path, wearing a white, summery shirt, a cream skirt and brown sandals. Her hair was in a pony tail held together by a standard black band. To everyone in the village, she is a local sweetheart and a cheerful sight on a rainy day. But what made this girl stand out from the rest and that would shock most foreigners were her distinguishable features. On her forehead protruded a horn, while an ape-like tail covered in blonde fur flowed from her lower back. She caught her breath when she reached the yard.

"Kiara! Where have you been! It's been over an hour!" Ivan cried out.

"That's how long I said I'd be." Kiara responded.

"It's now 3 minutes over an hour."

"Geez, don't get worked up over 3 lousy minutes. There are a few extra stalls now so it took me a little longer than usual."

"Whatever the case, you're here now, get that shovel and help clear this mess the chocobo has made."

"Uhh... Again! That's three times in the same week! I keep saying you're feeding him too much."

"We'll worry about that later. I don't do this for the good of my health you know. And the way I see it, you're partially responsible for gettin' him them nasty new pellets they have now."

"I only get those because you told me to."

"... Just get the damn shovel, Kiara."

After an afternoon of work, the three sat down for an evening meal.

"So, Kiara, heard anything about the next semester?" asked Julie

"Yeah, they start next season. Kirsten and Brad said they're already prepared, so I'm gonna do the same tomorrow." She answered.

"_Next_ season?" Ivan butted in.

"Yeah. Why?" said Kiara, slightly on edge.

"You can't go then. I need you on the farm. It's the busiest time of year."

"But, dad, you promised."

"That was when none of us knew when it was happening. And I said you could as long as it doesn't fall in on an inappropriate time, and it does."

"But nearly everyone is going this year. That hardly ever happens; I'll be the odd one out, like I have been for the last 3 semesters!"

"Look, I know you were looking forward to it, but it's a crucial time. You know what it's like, Kiara."

"Ivan, Kiara's been waiting ages to hear when the next semester starts. She has her own life you know." Julie said, backing up Kiara.

"I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind!" Ivan declared.

There was a tense silence.

"... So I'll end up being left behind! Again!" Kiara pouted before she left the table and stormed off.

"Ivan, I just don't think you're being fair. You know how much she's been looking forward to that. She wants to be with her friend's." Said Julie.

"I know. I hate to see her upset like that, but I absolutely need her here. I'll make it up to her next year." He replied.

Outside, Kiara strutted around the yard in anger and sorrow. She easily held back the tears, but it was clear to anyone that she was upset. After stomping around for about 5 minutes, she sat on the ground to calm down. The gentle breeze blew through her soft, blonde hair. Her skin tingled in the warmth of the sun set and the water gleamed in her eyes. The faint sound of parents calling their children indoors could be heard from within the village. As Kiara stood up to see the great view her home had of Merridor, she breathed in the fresh air to cool her nerves.

She observed the trees swishing back and forth in the calm wind. Her peaceful episode was cut short however when she spotted something she had never seen before. Standing at the end of the dirt path was a tall man dressed in a black hood that hid his face. He was looking straight at Kiara. A shiver ran down her back as she quickly felt uneasy, knowing that she, herself, was being observed. When the hooded figure noticed that he had been spotted, he withdrew out of sight behind the trees. Keeping her eye on the spot where he was standing, Kiara hurried inside her home.

She ran up to her room and gazed out the window in time to see the tall man walking away down the path, and eventually, out of sight. She gave a little sigh of relief before getting into bed and going to sleep. Little did Kiara know that tomorrow, her life would change drastically. It would be up to her to see if it will be for the better or for the worst...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning, Kiara woke up to the sun shining through a gap between her drawn curtains. She squinted as the light glared her in the eye. She sat up in her bed and adjusted her chocolate brown eyes to the light. Her tail was curled up in a spiral and her long, blonde hair flowed down passed her ears to her shoulders. She grabbed the black hair band on her bedside table and tied her hair back into a pony tail again.

Kiara then got out of bed, stretched her entire body and drew her curtains. She readjusted her eyes to the blazing sun that shone on this clear day. The light gleamed on the river that flowed through Merridor, the water sparkled and gleamed with radiance. People were already outside, carrying out their usual day to day routines. Through the glass she heard the calls of market sellers in the square, shouting out prices and bargains to try and outdo their competitors.

Then, Kiara opened her window and breathed in the fresh air before going downstairs after smelling the infatuating scent of breakfast.

"Good morning, Kiara" said Julie from the kitchen, cooking breakfast.

"Morning mum." She answered. "What time is it?"

"It's almost midday. You were sock on last night; we didn't want to wake you."

"Where's dad?"

"He went round to help old Mrs Dingle with some heavy boxes... Are you still mad at him?"

"A little, yes. He never gives me any space."

"I know you're upset about him not letting go to the semester, but he just needs you on the farm this one last time. He said he'll make it up to you next year."

"He said that last year, and the year before. I was really looking forward to it this time." Kiara pouted.

Suddenly, Ivan came through the front door and into the kitchen.

"Honey, I'm home!"

He stopped when he saw Kiara.

"Oh... Morning Kiara." He said.

"Morning..." she said in an ignorant tone. Julie carried on with making breakfast.

There was a short and awkward silence.

"Listen, Kiara. I know you were looking forward to this year's semester, but this is the last time it's going to be like this, I promise you. I just need you this last time." Ivan explained.

Kiara said nothing.

"Ok you two. Breakfast is ready." Said Julie. All three of them then sat down for their meal.

After her meal, Kiara left the house and took a walk into the main square. She strolled down the dirt path through her neighbourhood. Some of her neighbours were maintaining their front gardens and they nodded to her as she walked by. Kiara politely nodded back. She continued over the bridge which the river flowed beneath then she started to walk on stone flags as she entered the square. There were grocery shops, a cafe, a paper shop, a potion shop and weapons & tools stand to the left and the market on the right. There was a water feature in the centre.

Local people were going about their daily business, either working at the shops or purchasing from them. Anyone who recognised Kiara acknowledged her. All of a sudden, a voice called out to her.

"Hey Kiara!" the voice called.

Kiara turned around to see her friend Kirsten running up to her.

"Hey Kirsten!" she greeted.

"Hi, I just got back from Brad's house."

"Yeah? What are you two doing now?"

"We were just going over our essentials that we should pack for the semester. It starts in a few weeks. Are you packed yet?"

Kiara sighed with disappointment. "I can't go. My dad won't let me; he says he needs me on the farm."

Kirsten's smile faded. "You're kidding! Oh, Kiara. Everyone's gonna be there this year."

"I know! It's not fair, I always get left out."

Kirsten hugged Kiara to try and cheer her up. "It won't be the same without you, you know."

"I'll be alright. I'll be there for sure next year."

"Looking forward to it. Anyhow, gotta dash, my brother needs me home. See ya later, Kiara!" said Kirsten as she headed off home.

"Bye!" she called to her friend.

Kiara sighed as she was left on her own once again. The shouting of the market people was starting to hurt her ears a bit so she moved further away. Her tail hair's flowed in the breeze as the appendage swished from side to side while she walked. Looking around at everyone, she always wondered why she was the only one with such unique features. She had never seen anyone else who had a tail or a horn.

As she stood by herself, she started to cut off from reality into her own mind. An extremely faint vision began to go through her head. It was the sound of a woman. Kiara had no idea who it was or how she could hear it occasionally, but the woman was crying in agony. It wasn't very often that she had this vision, but it sent shivers down her spin every time she experienced it.

Suddenly, she was brought back to reality when someone accidently barged into her. The young man apologised before going on his way. Kiara stepped to one side to avoid being hit by anyone else. As she observed the area, her sight became fixed on one particular sight. At the other side of the square, in the bushes behind the market, she spotted the tall hooded man she saw yesterday. As before he was looking at her. Kiara soon turned away for a few moments and stared at the ground. People were still going about their days, seemingly oblivious to what she saw.

He heart started to beat a little faster as she turned back to the bushes, only find that the man had disappeared once again. She looked around and there was no sign of him. Disturbed by this, she made her way to a nearby water pump. Kiara bent down beneath the pipe opening, pushed the handle down a few times and took a few gulps of the cold, soothing water. She also splashed some on her face. She flicked a drip of water off that was hanging from her horn before turning around and walking home.

She was soon halted however as she saw the man again, this time standing by the bridge, but still watching her. People walked past him, as if he wasn't even there. Desperate to get out of his sight. She turned and rushed towards the entrance of the village and hid in some bushes. She stayed there for a few minutes before poking her head through the bushes checking if anyone was around. Kiara then emerged from the bushes and peeked through the trees at the crowd of people in the square. She quickly spotted the hooded figure once more, only this time he was much closer. He stood higher than anyone else in the village and he was still looking at her. Her heart was pounding in her chest when she noticed that he was walking towards her.

Frightened and disorientated, Kiara turned tail and ran. She sprinted out of the village and onto the dirt road that would lead to the neighbouring town of Surceil. It was rather uncommon that she ever left the village other than to go on semesters or to visit Surceil with her family. She was scared of what was following her this time though. She ran along the road until she stopped to look behind her. It was clear. But she was not convinced that she was safe. Kiara scanned the area and discovered a small opening in the trees on the road side. Without thinking, she withdrew into the opening and kept on running, forcing her way through the tall grass and avoiding branches.

She had no idea where she was going or even if she was being followed. As a result she slowed down until she ground to a halt. She peered through the trees to see if her apparent assailant was following her. Her heart was still pounding. After a few minutes she calmed down and caught her breath. Kiara then realised that she had no idea where she was, thus she began to panic slightly. Having lost her sense of direction she waded through the bushes and grass, tying to find her way back to the road.

Soon after, she arrived at an opening, but she froze in fear as to what she saw. Her entire body tensed up and her eyes bulged from her head as she was standing not 20 feet away from a Bandersnatch that was eating another dead animal. The terrible creature was slobbering at the mouth as it pulled the flesh from its deceased prey and swallowing chunks of it whole. Its mouth was covered in blood. Fortunately for Kiara, the beast had not seen her. Terrified, but holding her nerves together and not deviating her eyes from the fiend, not even for a second, she slowly backed up as quietly as she possibly could. Her tail was as still as a stone statue but her hands trembled with fear for her life. She tried to keep her breathing as low as possible, but it proved to be a difficult task.

The Bandersnatch made heart wrenching growling noises as it devoured its meal. Kiara kept backtracking until she was hidden behind a tree. Still slightly traumatised from her previous view and still able to hear the noises the creature made, she took a moment to regain her composure, staying as silent as a mouse. She took a deep breath and then turned to get away from the gory scene. But, as if out of nowhere, another Bandersnatch emerged, this time, face to face with her. It hissed as it gazed at her with its pupil less eyes. Its long tongue dangled from its jaws as blobs of its saliva dropped from its mouth. Kiara's heart was beating louder and faster than ever as fear pierced her soul like a thousand blades. She had never been this frightened before.

Suddenly, the dreaded monster lunged at her with its razor sharp teeth and claws, but she leaped to one side to avoid it and then ran past it as fast as she could. The Bandersnatch roared as it began to give chase which, in turn, alerted the other one which left its current meal to catch some fresh meat. Kiara ran for her life, jumping over tree roots and ducking beneath branches. The Bandersnatch's were in hot pursuit as they ravaged the woodland in their wake, snapping branches and splitting tree roots as they galloped after her. She could hear their roars as clear as day, indicating that they were but arms lengths behind her.

She cried out for help as she sprinted away from them, with no concept or care of where she was headed. She took a turn to the right in an attempt to escape back to the open road where she would have a better chance to avoid them.

However, her plan backfired as it ever so slightly slowed her down, but it was enough for one of the Bandersnatch's to land a blow with its claws, tearing her clothes and shedding through the skin on her back, leaving a deep scratch wound which caused her to cry out in pain as she plunged to the floor. Still able to crawl, she managed to get inside a hollow log that was covered in moss to seek shelter. This, however, made no difference for her safety as the Bandersnatch that was eating the other animal previously, shoved its head in after her, its jaws snapping at her feet as she crawled further inside the log. The beast tore the log apart to get closer to her, further and further down the wood it clawed. Kiara kept ahead of it until she realised the horrible situation that she was in: at the end of the log was a dead end.

She turned on her back to see the Bandersnatch was also aware of her situation as it slowly raised its head and opened its jaws. Kiara screamed at the top of her lungs out of fear, she was sure that her life would end that very moment. Her heart skipped a beat.

But, suddenly, the Bandersnatch moved backwards as it made a yelping noise, like something was pulling it out. It roared in pain as it was dragged out of the log and pulled to one side, out of Kiara's sight. The blood loss she suffered from when the Bandersnatch attacked her caused her to have blurred vision as she slowly lost conciseness. However, she saw the other Bandersnatch roaring at something while she could hear the other being attacked by whatever it was. Then, with a crunching sound, blood splattered on the Bandersnatch's face while the other was silenced. The creature saw what happened to his fallen comrade and quickly fled the scene. As Kiara's vision began to turn black, she saw a shadow over looking her before she passed out.

The tall hooded man stood before the dead Bandersnatch, gazing down at Kiara, still within log. Suddenly, the sound of propellers could be heard. They got loud and louder by the second. The hooded man looked up to see a trio of pitch black airships heading in the direction of Merridor, each one bearing a certain emblem: a star that was coloured red. The figure seemed to recognise the crest. With that, he bent down, picked up Kiara and carried her into the woods...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

An anonymous woman screamed as loud as she could. There was no vision of her face that Kiara could see, but she dreamed about the vision she occasionally experienced. Just the sound of someone screaming and crying. She had experienced this vision for as long as she could remember. No one could hear it except her. It was such a heart breaking sound that it woke her up.

Kiara opened her eyes to see nothing but a light blur. She could tell she was outside as she could feel the warm rays of the sun against her skin, as well as the blinding light. The wind was still blowing peacefully. She could also smell a certain scent, as if something was burning. She managed to adjust her eyes and found herself in, what appeared to be a camp site. It was an open meadow with one or two trees in the back ground. There were also a small number of boulders in the vicinity. She looked around as much as she could and spotted some burnt black wood surrounded by pebbles, which was once a fire. She looked round some more and found a shabby looking tent. She could also tell that she was on a slight slope.

Kiara's head then stated to throb. She rubbed her forehead and realised that she could hardly remember what had happened. She suddenly heard footsteps coming towards her. She looked up and saw a black figure; she eventually made it out as the hooded man she had previously fled from. Her heart beat increased when he knelt down beside her.

"Just relax. For a moment." he said in a slightly deep voice that had a rough edge to it. She could tell that he was a bit old, at least in his late 40's.

"Where am I?" she asked, anxiously.

"Safe. For now at least."

Her head throbbed again.

"Oh, my head."

"It's nothing that time won't cure. You had a bit of a nasty fall. Those Bandersnatch's were a nasty piece of work."

Kiara rolled her eyes. "Bandersnatch's... (Gasp) Bandersnatch's!"

"Don't panic. They're gone. Well, one of them is."

"Where's the other?"

"It's history."

Kiara calmed down a little, but she was still nervous and a little scared. She looked up at him, unable to see his face from under his hood.

"... You... saved me..." she said, slowly.

The man said nothing.

"I thought that..."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kiara."

She gasped. "How do you know my name!"

"I know quite a bit about you. Probably more than you even know about yourself."

She quickly got up and took a few steps back from him.

"Have you been spying on me!"

The man stood up himself, but said nothing. As Kiara was stood up, the burning smell was much stronger.

"What's that smell? What are you doing! Who are you!" she questioned.

"Kiara... There's something that I need to-"

"No! You listen to me! Stop using that name like you know me!" she interrupted. Suddenly the man quickly approached her and towered over her to make her feel like a defenceless child.

"No, you listen, you little twerp! I saved your life! No one said I had to, but I did. You're obviously completely unaware as to what is going on! Don't you dare to speak to me like that!"

His voice roared like thunder as he spoke, which forced Kiara over. She almost shed tears at his powerful position and stature.

"... I'm sorry..." she said, meekly.

"It's a shame our first meeting turned out like this. There's something I must tell you that will be hard for you to hear." he said, lowering his tone to a sympathetic one.

Kiara got up and stood upright. "What is it?" she asked, fearing what it could be.

"You smell that?"

She nodded.

"That isn't the camp fire. It's nothing to do with me." He stated.

Kiara listened carefully.

"You've been unconscious for a day." he added.

"What?" She said in disbelief. "I can't have been!"

"Listen to me. I haven't finished yet." He said.

Kiara stayed quiet.

The man pointed at something behind her. "In that time, I'm sorry for you to hear this from a complete stranger, but your home was raided." He said.

Her heart dropped after hearing those words. She slowly turned around to see that he was pointing at a cloud of rising, black smoke from beyond the woods. It was coming from Merridor.

"No... No!" she said, denying what she saw. Her heart raced at the thought of what happened. She suddenly took off, sprinting down the slope towards her home.

"Kiara! Don't! It's not safe!" the hooded man called to her.

Ignoring him, she rushed on, into the woods, careless of what could be lurking inside. She ran so fast, she left a gust of wind in her wake that lagged a few seconds behind her. Never before had she been so agile. Lucky for her, there were no monsters in her path.

Tears ran from her eyes and her heart was thumping like crazy. Every muscle in her body was so tense, they were like rocks. She couldn't think about anything except what horrible state her home was in.

Eventually, she reached an opening that lead to the dirt road from before. She shot along like a bullet leaving a dust trail behind her. Soon after her home was in sight and she saw that her fears were true. All the buildings were ablaze with raging, crimson flames. The black fumes poisoned the skies and the trees had been ripped apart.

"NO! Mum! Dad!" she cried out as loud as she could.

She sprinted toward the village with no care for her safety. She covered her mouth and nose to avoid breathing in any the poisonous smoke of the inferno that had engulfed her home. The square was a wreck of despair and death. There were burnt bodies covering the ground. Men, women and even children. Their skin withered away like burnt paper in the midst of the flames. Kiara waded her way through the square and crossed the stone bridge that stretched across a dried up river. It was the same at her neighbourhood. The giant blaze had swallowed up the entire village.

As she ran up the path, Kiara's heart broke into a million pieces at the sight that stood before her. Her home, the very house she grew up in, was now a fiery structure. Tear poured from her eyes at the view of her most treasured place having been laid to ruins.

Then, Kiara looked at the front yard and she knew that what she saw there would haunt her for the rest of her life. There, on the ground in front of her beloved home were the bodies of her parents, Ivan and Julie. Unlike everything else, they were not on fire, but they were horribly burnt. Kiara ran over to them and held her father in her arms.

"Dad! Dad! NOOOO!" she screamed.

His body was covered in stab wounds and cuts that had spilled blood. She knew that he had been brutally murdered. Kiara then went to her mum. She also bore fatal wounds, but her clothes were all ripped, indicating that she had been raped and tortured. Kiara, with no idea of what else to do screamed at the top of her lungs and released her sorrow and pain. She screamed for so long that she nearly hyperventilated, but that was the least of her worries. Not only had she lost everything precious to her, but it happened before she made peace with her dad.

Sometime later, she emerged from the burning village, physically and emotionally drained. Her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest. When she reached a safe distance, she turned to face her destroyed home, fell to her knees and began to cry. First lightly, but it soon exploded within her and she cried her heart out, having lost everything.

After a short while, the hooded man appeared from the woods. He stood over the sorrow struck Kiara and gazed down at her.

"That's it. Let it all out." He said.

Kiara continued to cry. "It's not fair! I should have been there!" she managed to say.

"Don't blame yourself, Kiara, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done."

"But it hurts! It hurts so badly!"

"I know it does..."

"I wasn't there for them. My mum and dad. I wasn't there when they needed me! I never had the chance to make up with my dad!" she cried.

"Kiara, whatever problems you were having with him is none of my business." He said. The man then looked at the village for a few moments. "That ain't no way for anybody to die. I bet it was horrible for them. But, I'm sure that they were glad that you weren't there to share their fate." He added.

Kiara began to stop crying. She eventually fell silent.

"C'mon. Let's head back to the camp. It'll only hurt you more if we stay here." Said the hooded man.

She simply nodded in agreement. Kiara then stood up and followed him back into the woods before turning round and having one last look at her home. They were both silent the whole way back.

When they arrived back at the camp, Kiara sat by the tent, looking out at the cloud of black smoke that ascended from her home.

"Here, drink this." Said the hooded figure, handing her a flask of water.

Without uttering a word, Kiara took the flask and swallowed a gulp of water and handed it back to him. A calm silence followed as Kiara thought to herself. After a while, she broke the silence.

"It's pathetic isn't it?" she said.

"What is?" he asked.

She turned around to face him.

"I've lost everything. My home, my family, my friends, everything. I've got nothing left. It's pathetic that the only person I know that is still alive is someone I've never met before, that I know nothing about and I have no idea what your name is or what you look like. But, as it turns out, you're the only friend I have." She said.

The man looked down at her.

"Well. If you feel that way, perhaps it would be helpful if you knew who I am. I was getting tired of wearing this damn cloak anyway." He said as he grabbed his hood, pulled it off and threw it at Kiara, covering her eyes.

Her head emerged from the cloak and her eyes widened as she gazed at the person that stood before her.

In front of her was a man with long arms and shabby clothes which resembled a monk. He had blue skin, locks of red hair and a red beard. He had a gold ring hanging from each ear. She instantly recognised this man.

"I know you! Y-You're Amarant Coral!" she said in amazement.

Amarant nodded at her and folded his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Amarant cracked his neck to relax it. He adjusted his eyes to the sun light after being exposed to it for the first time since he started wearing his cloak. Kiara sat there on the ground, astonished at his identity, with his cloak on her lap.

"What's the matter, cat gotcha tongue?" he asked sarcastically.

"I... I can't believe it... I've heard stories about you... what you did... but I never dreamed I'd actually meet you!" Kiara said in utter amazement.

"Don't treat this like an honour. And don't talk to me like I'm a great man. I'm not..."

"You're kidding, right! You saved the world 23 years ago! You're one of the most respectable men alive! People see you as a hero!"

"People think bullshit. I only did what had to be done that day. It doesn't make me special one bit. What people don't understand is who I am, they only know about one of the few good deeds I've done in my life. I've done a lot more bad things than I have good."

Kiara paused for a moment, taken back by Amarants words. "I... I never realised... I'm sorry."

"Save your pity. I am who I am. Nothing more..."

Kiara fell silent, slightly embarrassed.

"Kiara, do you know what state Gaia is actually in?" the monk asked.

She looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't think so. This island, along with many others, is cut off civilisation. Well, it has been until recently at least."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"Kiara, how long have you been here?"

"A-All my life. I was born here. What's this got to do with anything?"

Amarant started to ponder. "_How the heck did this happen?_" he thought to himself.

In the short silence, Kiara figured him out. "You know who it was, don't you?" she said.

"What?" he said, being broken from his trail of thought.

"You know who destroyed my home. Who tortured and killed my parents, don't you?"

Impressed with Kiara's instinct, he nodded. "Yes. I do."

"Tell me... Tell me everything." She demanded.

"I'm not sure if you could take it. You've been isolated from reality for so long it would be difficult for you to take in." He explained.

The teenage girl took a deep breath. "Listen. I've just been violently ripped up from my natural life. My home is gone, my friends and family are dead, and I've got nothing left from my old life. I have to move on, that's the way my mum and dad would want it. And it's what I intend to do. I'm not afraid of anything that could happen. Since I have nothing, I've got nothing to lose. Now fill me the hell in." She stated.

Amarant frowned. "Fine. But like I said, it could blow your mind sky high. Brace yourself."

Kiara stood strong, ready to take the news in, whatever it maybe.

"As you know, 23 years ago a group of eight fighters, myself included, vanquished the mist from this world. Peace was brought between the three great nations. But not everyone was happy with that. A few years ago, a terrorist group emerged, calling themselves Dark Saga. Dark Saga soon grew and gained followers. They brain washed monsters to obey their commands. They soon gained a large army and threatened the world. There are 6 agents who run the organisation." Explained Amarant.

Kiara listened intently, not making a sound.

"But not long after that, just when things were bad enough, an old war veteran appeared after spending years as a missing man. The man's name is Jack-O. He soon formed his own organisation to oppose Dark Saga, which he called Red Star, which is run by him and 4 other agents. The two armies are at war with each other, mainly on the Mist Continent. The three great nations protect themselves as much as they can, but they're not strong enough to oppose either of them. Each organisations agents possess unbelievably powerful magic and fighting prowess. They've become too strong even for me and my old comrades. All we can do is ward them away from the major cities as much as we can."

"That's horrible. I can't believe I don't know this." Said Kiara.

"It doesn't surprise me. But that isn't all. There are other powerful warriors other than Dark Saga and Red Star's agents. These other fighters use the fighting to their advantage, acting as mercenaries to work for either side, whoever pays the most. Though it's usually Dark Saga, since they are bigger. Some of them have even formed small armies of their own and are now known as warlords. A lot of these guys have already perished, but there are still a few left to this day."

Kiara couldn't believe what she heard. "It's unbelievable to know that I was unaware of all this. My parents never told me"

"They probably didn't know either. The fighting usually stays within the mainland. I can't figure out why Red Star came all the way out here." Said Amarant.

Kiara intensified her face. "So it was Red Star, was it? They took everything away from me?"

"Yes, I saw their emblem on their airships as they flew overhead to Merridor."

"You saw them! Why didn't you try and stop them!"

"Are you seriously saying that! If I had tried to stop them, they would have killed me! And then where would you be? I'm 49 years old; I'm passed my prime, I would have been lucky to escape with my life if I had challenged them. You don't know how terrible the agents are. Many lives have been taken by them." Said Amarant.

Kiara bowed her head. "Teach me."

"What?"

"Teach me how to fight." She said.

"Are you serious?" asked the monk.

"I've never been more serious about anything! I want revenge!"

Amarant grabbed her by her shirt and she yelped in shock.

"Do you have any idea what you're saying!" he shouted.

"Of course I do! I have to avenge my parents' deaths!" she stated.

Amarant threw her on the ground like a rag doll.

"Get real, Kiara! Open your eyes! I know you're sad and angry about your home and parents, but now your acting as if you don't matter! You want to just throw your life away! All big Mrs Tough guy is now thirsty for blood after being pampered her whole life!"

Kiara curled up, defeated and speechless.

"You have no idea. Have you ever held a weapon before? A proper weapon and not a farming tool?"

After a short pause, she weakly answered. "... No."

"And have you ever killed anyone?"

"... No..."

"Just as I thought. You're worked up and upset. You need to calm down and think about what you've asked me. Weather you were serious or not. Go and have a walk to cool off, take as long as you need but don't go far. Come back here when you've calmed down and thought it through." Amarant ordered.

Kiara hesitated, wondering if he was serious or not.

"You got something in your ears? Go. Sooth your nerves."

Slowly, Kiara climbed to her feet and walked away, wiping tears from her eyes. Her tail drooped down and slugged behind her. Amarant stared thoughtfully at the appendage as she strolled off. When she went out of sight, he sat down next to the burnt out fire and entered a meditation state.

Kiara walked down the slope with her head down, hands behind her back and kicking the gravel as she went. All that was on her mind was her parents and friends, and how much she missed them. Tears still rolled down the cheeks of her emotionally black face. The smell of her burning home still haunted her nostrils. Her heart was beating rapidly. She started to walk in circles while she secretly mourned her great loss.

She soon became lost in her grief and she stopped and fell to the ground. She sat with her face against her knees and her arms folded against her forehead as she began to cry quietly. Her tears dripped from her chin onto her shirt. Kiara reminisced about her life with Ivan and Julie. She remembered a time from when she was younger and she started to leave the house for the first time:

"_Mummy! Mummy!" cried a 4 year old Kiara, running towards Julie in the kitchen with tears pouring from her eyes._

"_Kiara! What's wrong dear? Why are you crying?" Julie asked, lifting the youngster up into her arms._

_After sobbing hard, the young Kiara finally told Julie about her problem. "I went down the path and I saw some boys. They laughed at me and called me names about my horn and tail."_

"_What did they call you?"_

"_Stuff like... monkey face and... and pointy head. They were really mean!"_

"_Aww, darling, take no notice of them. Do you agree with what they said?"_

"_(Sniff-sniff)... No."_

"_Then just ignore them. You'll always be my special little girl." Said Julie before she stared tickling Kiara._

_She quickly dried her tears and flailed frantically while laughing with playfulness as she tickled Julie back._

Kiara chuckled at the memory and it cheered her up slightly. She recalled that Julie always had a way of cheering her up. Then, she began reminiscing about Ivan, in particular, a visit to the beach:

_Ivan and Julie were sun bathing in the blazing sun. A 6 year old Kiara ran up to them, as hyper as a child could be, wearing a pink swim suit and a rubber ring decorated to resemble a duck around her waist._

"_Daddy, Daddy! Can I go for a swim in the sea? Please, please, please, pleeeeease!" she pleaded._

_Ivan, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, looked up at her. "Alright, Kiara, but stay in the shallow bit where I can see you." He said._

"_Ok, ok, ok, ok. Tee hee!"_

_Ivan laughed. "Don't forget what I told you!" he called after her as she ran for the sea._

_A few minutes later, Kiara called to him. "Daddy! Daddy! Look at me, I'm a little fishy!" she laughed._

_Ivan looked up and waved at her. "I can see you! Don't go too far out, Kiara!"_

_As Kiara was focused on Ivan, she didn't see a large wave approaching her from behind. "Kiara, look out!" Ivan called._

_The wave was too close for the young Kiara to get away in time and it threw her beneath the water. She screamed for help as it engulfed her._

"_Kiara!" shouted Ivan as he got up, sprinted toward the ocean and jumped in to find Kiara. Julie was also alerted to this and ran towards the water as well._

_After a few moments, Ivan surfaced with Kiara in his arms. The youngster was crying and coughing and spitting the water out of her mouth. Julie sighed with relief._

"_Aww, there there Kiara, don't cry. Don't tell me a little bit of water scared you?" comforted Ivan._

"_(Sniff-sniff)... No... It's just that... The water tastes terrible!"_

_Ivan laughed. "Well sure, not everyone who swims in the ocean gets taught how to use a toilet, you know!"_

_Kiara and Julie started to laugh with him._

Kiara chuckled at her memories again, and decided to remember her parents for the kindness they showed her in her upbringing, rather than the pain she felt when they were killed.

She stood up, wiped away her tears and began thinking about what she wanted and what she had to do. She moved on from her sorrow and left it behind, realising that she had to toughen up and be strong.

"Strong focus on what I want." She muttered to herself.

Later on, at dusk, she returned to the camp and observed Amarant, who hadn't moved an inch from his meditation. Kiara took a deep breath and approached the old veteran.

He opened his eyes, saw Kiara and stood up to meet her. "Well? Have you had a think?" he asked.

Maintaining her composure she nodded. "Yes, and I'm sticking to what I said earlier. I want you to teach the ways of combat."

"I could do that." He said, respecting her decision. "But can you give me one compelling reason why I should?"

Kiara took a deep breath. "I understand that I can't really comprehend how hard real life is. I can understand why you're reluctant to take me under your wing. If I wanted to, I could have come up with a fancy speech saying how much I loved my family and home and what I'd do to avenge them. But, I know as well as you do, that wouldn't work. I've mourned my families passing, cried about it, put it aside and moved on. All my life I've been an outcast, but I feel that there must be something that I can do to help you and everyone else who is in danger. I don't want to sit on the side lines and watch Gaia get torn apart before my eyes. I want to help do something about it. I want to stand up for what's right, for what I believe in." She said in a strong and willing tone.

Amarant smiled a little. "Well, Kiara, you came here with your guns loaded this time. Maybe you _do_ have what it takes..."

"I won't fail you, Amarant. I'm not afraid."

The scene fell silent as the tall monk looked within her soul and searched her feelings, to which she gladly welcomed him to observe. Leaves blew around their feet in the soft and gentle breeze underneath the, cloudless, evening sky.

"You put up a strong argument. You meant every word didn't you?" said Amarant.

Kiara nodded.

There was a few more seconds' silence.

"Very well. I'll train you. But you'll have to do exactly as I tell you." He said.

Kiara sighed with relief. "Thank you A- (ahem). I mean, master"

"You can pack that in right now. Just call me Amarant."

"Okay, Amarant."

"I'll warn you now, it won't be easy. It'll probably be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do." He warned.

"I understand." Kiara answered firmly.

"First things first. Take your sandals off." He ordered.

Kiara obeyed by removing her footwear and putting them to one side. She felt the cool, soft grass beneath her feet.

"Now, have you had any previous fighting experience?" the monk asked.

Kiara thought for a moment. "Well, I got into a fight once when I was younger. Some guy was making fun of me and he went too far."

"Ok. So I guess I can pretty much skip the tutorial of what a punch and a kick are, yes?"

She nodded.

"Alright then." Amarant started to remove some of his heavier clothing. Kiara raised an eye brow, wondering what he had in store for her.

He exercised his muscles a little. "Now. Try and hit me." He ordered.

"What?"

"If I'm going to train you, I need to know what you can already do. If you manage to land a single blow, I'll bow at your feet and call you master."

"And all I have to do is hit you?"

"That's all you have to do." He said confidently.

As quick as a flash, Kiara threw a punch at him. Amarant took one step back and easily avoided it. She followed up with a high aimed kick. The monk bent backwards and her leg swished past him. The young girl attacked him with a volley of punches, all of which he avoided with ease. She then lunged her leg out, but Amarant strafed to his right and tripped her up with a sway of his foot. Kiara hit the ground with a thumping noise.

"Ow! Hey! You didn't say you'd attack me back!" she complained.

"So? If I were an enemy, would you be expecting me to tell you that I'd attack you? Always expect the unexpected. Now get up and try again." He demanded.

She groaned and did what she was told. Kiara attempted to hit him by leaping at him with her fists out in front of her. However, he slid across the ground beneath her, reached up, grabbed her tail and threw her on the ground, winding her.

She took a moment to catch her breath. "Huff-huff heave-heave. That wasn't fair!" she said.

"Take careful note of this: Agents don't play fair!" Amarant explained.

Kiara managed to stand up. "But, you grabbed my tail! It hurts when people grab it like that!"

"An obvious weakness that anyone could take advantage of. It's up to you to make it less conspicuous or work on it to get rid of the disadvantage it gives you. True warriors have no weakness, and if they do, they make near impossible to spot."

A frustrated Kiara charged at him.

"Now you're just fighting with uncontrolled anger." Amarant muttered.

She threw everything she had at him, but to no avail, he easily dodged every punch and kick. She lunged her fist out towards his face, but he grabbed her arm, twisted her round and pinned her against the ground nearly dislocating her shoulder. Kiara cried out in agony.

"You have power in your punches Kiara, but you have no idea how to properly wield it."

All she did was grind her teeth together and breathed heavily.

"This is quite an embarrassing situation for you. From here I could easily break your arm in two."

"No! Please don't!" She begged.

"You have little to no knowledge about combat do you?" he asked her, raising his voice over her screaming.

"NO!" she shouted.

"Your arm is now mine for me to do what I want with, is that clear?"

"YES!"

Just then, Amarant freed her and released her arm. She quickly turned on her side and rubbed her shoulder.

"Training begins tomorrow at dawn. Get some rest, Kiara." He said calmly.

After a few minutes of recovering, she stood up with an arched back and stumbled over towards the tent. She crawled inside, lied down and closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Dawn. The sun had just started to peek above the sea and mountains. Early birds tweeted gently in the silence of the morning. The wind still blew softly. The trees and grass swayed ever so slightly, and the breeze whistled peacefully. The distant and soothing sound of crashing ocean waves could be heard in the background.

Kiara lay within the tent and she cutely snored in her deep sleep. She was curled up in a ball to keep warm due to no bed sheets or even a soft mattress. Her tail was in a crescent shape around her legs and the tip twitched ever so slightly. Her skirt lifted as the breeze blew through the gap between the tents opening. Waves went through her hair with the gentle wind.

Suddenly, something grabbed her foot. She awoke with the shock and was soon dragged out on the tent by Amarant, ruining her peaceful sleep.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey. It's dawn, training starts now." He informed her bluntly.

Still half asleep and in a daze, Kiara looked around to see that it was still dark. "Uhh... Now? I don't even think the worms are awake yet."

"Yes now. We need to be up good and early everyday to fit in a routine. I've already been awake for 2 hours. C'mon, get up."

Reluctantly and painfully, Kiara got to her feet and rubbed her eyes. Suddenly, Amarant picked up his flask, pointed it at Kiara, squeezed the flask and squirted freezing cold water at her. She screamed a little with the shock and her eyes widened, waking her body up.

"What was that for!"

"Are you awake?"

"I am now!"

"That's what it was for. Get used to getting up this early, maybe earlier sometimes. Anyway, I've paid a visit Surceil. Quick question, what size are you?" he asked.

Slightly offended, Kiara took a step back. "Excuse me!"

"What size clothes fit you?" he repeated, more clearly.

"Oh... Erm... 8, 9?" she answered.

"Close enough. Here, put these on. Early birthday present. They're better suited to combat." He said, handing her a bag. He then went to the camp fire to sharpen his blades. Kiara peered inside the bag then looked up at Amarant with a slightly red face. The monk noticed she was not doing anything.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get changed." He told her.

"... I-I can't get changed with you looking." she said, shyly.

"Tut Oh, give me strength... Fine." He said, turning around to face the opposite direction, but Kiara still refused to get undressed.

"Is that all the privacy I'm going to get? I'm practically a fully grown woman you know. Can you go somewhere so I can change?" she explained, her face an even brighter shade of red than before.

Amarant shook his head and sighed out of annoyance at demands. "There's nothing you've got that I haven't seen before."

"Amarant!"

"Uhh, whatever." He muttered as he walked away behind a distant boulder, out of Kiara's sight. But, just to make sure, she took cover behind the tent to hide her body while she changed.

A few moments later, Amarant heard Kiara's voice. "Okay, I'm changed."

The monk emerged from behind the boulder to view his new apprentice. She stood next to the camp fire wearing all new attire. She wore a dark blue tank top underneath green, leather armour. She wore a pair of short shorts that were a darkish brown colour. Amarant had already made a hole for her tail. On her hands were black leather gloves that didn't cover her fingers with thin sleeves that reached up to her elbows. On her feet were dark brown boots that reached her knees that were laced at the rims. Her belly was visible.

"Well? How do they fit?" asked Amarant.

"Everything fits very well actually. Nice a snug." Kiara grinned.

The monk rolled his eyes, tutting at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Forget it."

"Oh, alright. You say you got these from Surceil?"

Amarant nodded.

"Are the shops open at this time?"

"No..." he said calmly.

There was a short silence while Kiara figured out how he got her new gear.

"Anyway, let's get started. Here's the daily routine: we start at dawn everyday with early morning exercises. We have a short break afterwards, and I mean short! Then we do late morning exercises. After that we take another quick rest before early afternoon training, and then late afternoon training. In the evenings, I'll teach you how to train your mind. No point having a strong body and physic without a trained mind capable of using it. At night, we eat and rest. Whatever your mum used to cook you for brunch or evening meal, forget it. Get it out of your head. You're not a vegetarian or a vegan are you?" he asked.

"No." She responded.

"Good. Your diet is important. You'll need to keep your strength up via what you eat, that means vitamins, minerals, protein, and fibre. Meat is essential, as are fruits and vegetation. Is all that, in anyway, unclear?"

Kiara shook her head.

"Okay then. Since it's the first day, we'll skip the theory part in the evening." Amarant said.

"Okay, just one question: how long will this last for?" she asked.

"Who knows? It depends on how well you adapt to it and pick things up. It could take from a few months up to something like seven years, no way of knowing. It's all down to you on how long it takes."

"Oh... O-Okay."

"Right, with that said, let's start the early morning exercises." He said before turning round and had a look around the area, measuring the distance with his arms. "Alright, let's start with this boulder here and finish at that tree over there. Yeah, I'd say that's about 100 meters..."

"So, what will I be doing?" asked Kiara.

"You're going to run and I'm going to time you." He explained.

"I'm gonna run? How is that training?"

"You'd be surprised. Running is one of the best ways of testing physical strength and speed. Every morning, you'll try and beat the record of the day before." Said Amarant, pulling out a fob watch from his pocket. "I'll time you with this. I'll wait at that tree; I'll give you a signal when you need to set off. Is that clear?"

"As clear as day." She answered.

Amarant jogged over to the tree he pointed out earlier. Kiara crouched down with one leg in front of the other. Her tail was in a curve, totally still. Her eyes watched and waited for Amarant to give her a signal. When he arrived at the tree he took a few seconds looking at the watch before raising his hand in the air, holding it in place for a few moments before dropping it down quickly, signalling her to go.

With that, Kiara shot off from her stance into a sprint. She ran as fast as she could, keeping perfect balance. She charged towards Amarant at neck breaking speeds before running past him and slowing down to a halt. Amarant clicked the button on the fob watch as she passed the tree. Out of breath Kiara bent over and had a quick break before walking over to the red haired monk.

"Huff-huff How fast was I? Heave-heave" she panted.

"About 19 seconds." He told her.

"Oh. Really? That's quite good." She said, proud of herself.

"Yes. For a young woman, your near to top of your league. But that isn't good enough!"

Kiara looked up at him, surprised by his words.

"For what we're aiming for, this is a crap time." He carried on.

Kiara bowed her head, a little hurt inside.

"It's not your fault. But we need to set the bar way higher. So I'll have to give you a little push."

With that, he pulled out a small knife and cut her arm with it while she wasn't looking, drawing blood.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"You'll see. Now go back down there and try again." Ordered Amarant.

She groaned at him before obeying his command and strolled back down to the boulder. She put her finger on the small cut on her arm and looked at her fingers. They had blood on them. She quietly cursed at him as she arrived at the rock. Entering her stance again, she waited for her signal. Amarant, however, did nothing. He just stood there looking at her.

"_What's he waiting for? He's had plenty of time to set the watch up."_ She wondered.

This stalemate continued for a few more moments and Kiara grew impatient.

"C'mon!" she yelled at him.

Amarant never moved or opened his mouth.

She soon grew tired of her stance and relaxed her body by standing upright. She looked at him with a frown with her hands holding her sides.

Suddenly, the bushes behind her started to rustle. She looked back at them with a raised eye brow. Kiara watched them as they rustled louder.

Then, as quick as a flash, a Fang leaped out of the bush, growling at her. Using her instincts, Kiara took off, the Fang in pursuit. She screamed out for Amarant to help her as she sprinted towards him. However, he stood there like a stone statue, motionless. Kiara heard the Fang's growling noises as it chased her and she could feel it breathing down her neck. It snapped at her tail with hungry jaws. When she passed Amarant, he quickly drew his knuckle blades and cut the fiend down, killing it stone dead. It whimpered as it was struck.

Kiara stopped when she heard Amarants weapons slice through its flesh. Once again, she was out of breath.

"Huff-huff What the hell, Amarant! It could have killed me! Heave-heave" She protested.

"I know. But you did it, that time, in 12 seconds. A much better time. All you needed was a 'little push'." He explained.

Kiara quickly realised his plan all along.

"You're crazy!" she shouted.

"Yeah, well, I'd rather be crazy than a coward. Hmm, looks like tonight's meal is sorted." He said, dragging the Fang back to the camp site, Kiara followed.

When they reached the camp, Amarant put his cloak over the dead Fang and handed Kiara the fob watch.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"It's your turn to time now." He said.

"Alright. But, who's run am I timing?"

"Mine, of course. Now get up there. Click the button once to stop the timer and click it again to start it." He instructed.

Kiara did as she was told and jogged back up to the tree and waited for the second hand on the watch to reach twelve. When it did, she clicked to button to stop the watch.

"OKAY! READY!" she called to Amarant.

"_Hmmm. Am I ready? Let's check."_ He thought before he approached the boulder, wrapped his arms around it, lifted it off the ground and launched it into the air. It broke the trunk of a large tree clean off the stump as it landed.

"Yeah! I'm ready!" he called back to her.

Kiara was staring in awe at what she just saw her mentor do. She gulped as she raised her arm. Amarant just stood there, not moving an inch. The teenager then swished her arm down and clicked the button on the fob watch. Before she could even blink, Amarant had shot towards her like a bullet. He seemed to move faster than sound before he passed her and stop dead in his tracks, not even out of breath. A gust of wind blew past Kiara seconds after he stopped. Her eyes were wide open once again, her bottom jaw as low as it would go. She couldn't even blink. She did, however, manage to click the watch in time.

"Well? What's my time?" he asked, calmly.

Kiara brought herself to look down at the watch to increase her amazement.

"... 8 seconds flat..." she uttered.

"Hmm. Not bad." The monk remarked. He took the fob watch from Kiara's hand and slipped it back in his pocket.

"C'mon, I've got the next task waiting for you." He said as he casually walked back down the slope.

Kiara snapped out of her trance and jogged up behind him.

"W-Who taught you how to run like that?" she asked.

"What? Nobody taught me. That would be stupid." He said, chuckling to himself.

A few minutes later, Amarant lead Kiara to an area with a few small trees.

"Here's the next task." He said, presenting the trees to her with his arm. Kiara looked with a bored and confused face.

"Wow... Trees... I'm sure this is gonna make me stronger." She said sarcastically.

"It certainly is. I want you to uproot one of them." He instructed.

"What? Why?"

"Because this is a good way to exercise stamina. It can also affect your brain power slightly; it makes you think up a method of doing it." The red head explained.

"Oh, okay then. You got a saw I can use?" she requested.

"Nope."

"Well, what about a sword or a blade of some kind?"

"Kiara, you misheard me. The task isn't to cut the tree down, it's to uproot it."

Kiara started to look concerned. "You mean pull it out of the ground, along with its roots?"

"Yes. I've got no tools to lend you. You'll have to do with your bare hands."

"WHAT! Isn't that a bit extreme!"

"For you it does, this is going to happen every day. You'll get better at it; the first time is always the most daunting. You'll have to dig it out first, and then pull the roots up with the strength of your body, it's a simple task." He explained.

"Amarant, this is FAR from simple! I can't do this!"

"Sure you can. It might take a while, but you'll do it eventually. You need to beef up those muscles and something like this on a daily basis is perfect for that. Usually I'd time you for this, but for today, take as long as you need. Off you go, I'll be watching."

"I'm sorry Amarant, I just can't do this! I don't have the upper body strength for it. It's too much!" she stated before storming back to the camp in a strop. She sat on the ground facing out to sea.

After a while, Amarant arrived at the site and he sat beside her. "Okay. I can't make you do it. But this is the training you were begging for. It's up to you if you want to quit." He said.

She looked at him with concerned eyes.

"I went through tough exercises like this. But I had to figure it all out on my own. It was harder for me as it is for you. I was a lot younger. But do you know what kept me going?"

"What?" Asked Kiara.

"Competition. I was like you. I had nothing. All that mattered to me was becoming the best of the best. All I had to go on was my gut instincts. I don't remember my life before I started to fight. But I know it wasn't good. So I just put myself through difficult tasks and made them harder as I got stronger. I never had a life like you had. I'm getting old now though, times have changed. There's even a trial at the old Iifa Tree now to see how strong you are." Amarant reminisced.

"A trial? At the Iifa Tree? I've not heard of that."

"It's been there for about 15 years now. It is said that it's the ultimate test and who ever overcomes it will be the most powerful warrior in the history of the world. Who knows how it got there, but hundreds of warriors have challenged it. None conquered it. They were all killed."

Kiara gasped.

"I've always thought about taking the challenge myself, but the world is in trouble as it is and the three great nations need as much help as possible. Plus, like I said, I'm getting too old for that sort of thing. It's a shame really, because in my younger days I'd have taken the trail as soon as I heard of it. It would have defiantly been my- huh?"

Amarant turned his head to look at Kiara, only to find her missing. He looked around and spotted her running down the slope.

"Kiara! Where are you going!" the red head called after her as he started to follow her. When he finally caught up, he found her at the base of the tree they were talking about earlier, digging up the roots with her hands.

"Kiara, what are you doing? I thought you were going to quit."

"So did I. But you've really opened up my mind. Like you said, you did all this and you were younger than me, so I must be capable if you think I am." She explained.

"But, but I thought that-" he began before Kiara interrupted him.

"Amarant, you've done so much for me. More than you know. Not only did you save my life, but you're giving me the courage and will to change who I am into a stronger, better person. No one has ever given me that boost before, not even my parents. I want to do this! I have to! Not only for me, but I want to make you proud!" she stated.

"Kiara..."

"Do me this honour, Amarant. I promise you that if I ever get the chance, I will take the Iifa Tree trial!"

"What! Hundreds of people have tried and failed! It's a death trap!"

"You would have done it, and you did the impossible once, didn't you. And now you're training me! As I said yesterday: I will not let you down! I have full confidence in your ability, Amarant. I know that what you teach me will be enough to beat the trail. I promise, I'll challenge it when I get the chance! You can't stop me!"

Amarant was speechless. "Kiara... No one has spoken to me like that in a long time... Do you really have that much faith in me?" he asked.

"Yes! I do!" she said confidently.

After a while, Amarant gave a slight smile. Probably the first one in years. He took a few steps back and watched her as she dug up the tree's roots. She dug deeper and deeper with ever second until she hit them. She then stood up and forced all her body weight against the tree, grunting as she pushed against it with all her might. It was only a matter of time until the tree gave way and started to fall. Amarant watched intently and silently.

Kiara climbed up the trunk and shoved her weight down which, in turn, caused the tree to collapse and the roots were torn up from the soil. She jumped down onto the grass and stood triumphantly.

"Well done." Said Amarant, in his usual low tone of voice.

"I did it..." panted Kiara, out of puff.

"Impressive. I didn't think you'd do it that fast. It just shows what you can do with the right inspiration."

Kiara nodded. "I meant that promise you know."

"I know you did." He said, acknowledging her. He then turned his back to her. "Maybe... Just maybe... Perhaps she could..." he mumbled to himself.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Nothing. Follow me, we haven't finished early morning training yet.

Kiara followed Amarant as he led her to her next task.

After a long day of harsh training exercises and hardships, Amarant and Kiara returned to their camp site in the evening and Amarant skinned the Fang he killed that morning and hung it over a hot fire. Kiara quickly caught the attractive scent of cooking meat. She walked over to Amarant and sat round the fire with him. Her mouth was almost watering as she hadn't eaten anything for a whole day.

"So, when do we eat?" she asked.

"Well, _I _eat as soon as this is cooked." He answered vaguely.

Kiara raised her eye brow. "Okay... How long until _I _caneat?"

"As long as it takes you to go and capture your food."

There was a pause as she looked at him to see if he was serious. Amarant looked back at her with his daunting eyes.

"You... You can't be serious..."

"Why? If you're on your own, that's what you'd have to do. I suggest you go for something small. A squirrel or some other kind of rodent."

She paused again.

"I can't go out and kill a helpless animal just for my sake!"

"Where do you think your food came from when you lived in Merridor? Someone went out and killed it. You have to do the same when you're living in the wilderness."

"But I can't... I just can't... It's not right!" she protested.

"Go hungry then." Said Amarant.

She was taken aback by that statement. Kiara knew she had to eat and that Amarant wouldn't share his meat with her. The infatuating smell of meat invaded her nostrils, making her further suffer. Her strength was low; she could hardly lift her tail anymore. Her horn ached from all the training. She watched as her mentor used a pair of chop sticks to try some of his food causing her stomach to gurgle, demanding food. This was too much for her to bare.

"Okay... I'll do it..." she said, reluctantly.

"Wise choice. Here, take this." He handed her his knife. Kiara grabbed hold of the hilt and took it into her shaking hands. She trembled as she stared at the weapon, knowing what she would use it for. Usually her appetite would have left her by now, but her hunger was so intense, she simply had to eat, no matter what it took.

"Go on. Remember, go for something small, and stay out of trouble." Amarant warned. "Good luck." He added.

The teenager stood up with the knife in her hand and slowly walked down the slope and into the woods. The tall trees covered up most of what little sunlight there was. As she ventured deeper into the trees, she felt more and more vulnerable. She searched desperately for anything: on the ground, up in the trees. Nothing appeared. Her body ached and her stomach gurgled harsher. She felt like she would throw up, but there was no food in her system. Her tail trembled while she took each step. She could hear the hooting of an owl nearby, but she didn't have the strength to look for a bird or anything else that could fly. Kiara suddenly fell to her knees, her desperate need for food growing by the second.

She was having trouble seeing things as her vision was blurry. She closed her eyes and entered a deep trance. Her mind disconnected from reality for a moment. Faintly in the back of her mind, she experienced her vision once again, of an unknown woman screaming and crying. The vision upset her, but it was cut short as she heard rustling form a nearby bush. Watching with careful eyes, a rabbit jumped out. A look of horror and relief appeared on Kiara's face and she quickly hid the knife in the back of her shorts.

The rabbit sniffed around for a bit before it saw Kiara and it froze like a statue, its nose twitching cutely. Kiara tried her best to stay calm and attempted to lure the rabbit towards her.

"Come here..." she whispered gently. "Come on little guy, don't be scared..."

The rabbit didn't move. She slowly let out her hand, and the rabbit crouched down.

"Come on... please..." she whispered, almost in tears.

Her hand moved closer and closer to the rabbit ever so slightly. The rabbit moved towards her hand and sniffed it. After a few seconds she gently stroked its head, to which it quietly squeaked with delight. Thus, it moved a bit closer to her.

"That's it... A little closer..." she murmured.

The rabbit hopped up right next to her and she stroked it back softly. The rabbit looked around, away from her as she ran her fingers through its fine, grey fur. It's ear twitched in the moonlight. Dreading her next move, Kiara used her other hand to retrieve the knife from her shorts. The rabbit seemed to get comfortable, sitting in front of her knees. Keeping the weapon hidden, she brought it round and raised it in the air.

She began to cry at the thought of what she had to do while her stomach continued to torment her. She had to get it over with, quick.

"Sniff-sniff... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry!" she said. With that she held rabbit down, quickly drew the dagger and buried the blade into the rabbits flesh. She pulled it away and jabbed the rodent again. And again, and again, and again... Blood splattered all over her and she cried out while she murdered the rabbit.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" she screamed. When she was sure it was dead, she let go and dropped the weapon, screaming out loud, horrified at what she had done.

Later on, Amarant was eating his freshly cooked meal. He chomped and swallowed the chunks of Fang meat one piece at a time.

Kiara soon emerged from the woods, stormed over to him and threw her kill down beside him. He looked at the knife in her hand to see it covered in blood. He then gazed down and saw the rabbit, dead, with multiple stab wounds in its back. The red headed man looked up at Kiara and saw that she had been crying.

"That... was the most awful thing I've ever done..." she uttered. "I can't believe I did it..."

"You've done well... The first time is always the worst." He said. "I was the same when I first killed... Go and have a minute to cool off. I'll prepare it for you tonight. And only tonight, is that clear?"

Kiara merely nodded, then, she walked off down the slope.

"Kiara!" Amarant called. She turned around to see him. "Remember: you only did what you had to do."

She said nothing and continued down the slope.

Sometime later, Amarant had skinned and cooked the rabbit, chopped it up and laid it on a stone slab and presented it to Kiara, who had calmed down, but was still exhausted and drained, physically and emotionally. He handed her a pair of chop sticks to eat with. Her hands dithered fiercely as she took hold of them and struggled to keep them still.

"C'mon, Kiara. You have to eat." Said Amarant.

Still with trembling hands, Kiara attempted to pick up a chunk of rabbit meat but found it a near impossible task due to her shaking hands. Every time she had hold of a piece, it wriggled free of her chop sticks and dropped back onto the slab. She then tried a different angel, but the sticks couldn't grab the meat, slipping along the slimy fat of the joints. Amarant only watched her with glaring eyes, sitting completely still. She tried again to pick up the meat, but still failed to keep it between the sticks. The trembling of her hands only got worse. Her stomach growled at her more. She began using her other hand to help her keep the chop sticks steady. They rattled against each other in her hand. Inventing a new technique, she attempted to shovel the meat up with the sticks. But the meat only flipped over.

She then tried the technique on a larger chunk of meat. Eventually, she managed to balance it on her chop sticks. She desperately leaned forward and opened her mouth. She pulled the sticks towards her jaws and, finally, chomped down and swallowed her food as she stayed in that position.

Amarant breathed in and out without saying a word. He silently congratulated her, for he didn't show it, but her was proud of Kiara. The monk began eating his own food again.

"I know it was hard, Kiara, but you did a good job today."

"... Thanks..." she said. She then looked at him with an intrigued look. "...W-When was the first time you... um..."

"Killed?" he said, finishing off her sentence. Kiara just nodded.

"A long time ago. There's something you should know about it, Kiara. The only reason I put you through that is because in these times, killing is all around us. So you have to get used to it. But there's a difference between what you did and what they do."

"What's that?"

"Dark Saga and Red Star kill in cold blood. I was once like that..." Amarant admitted. Kiara looked surprised.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm not proud of it. I'm ashamed, in fact. You killed a rabbit tonight. When I made my first kill, it was worse. I was younger. Much younger. Too young..." he said.

"What was it you killed?" she asked.

Amarant was silent for a while. "... A man..." he finally uttered.

The scene fell quiet.

"Amarant, there's something I want to ask you." Said Kiara.

"Ask away."

"Yesterday, you said something to me. You said 'you knew me more than I know myself.' Didn't you."

"... Yes, I did."

"What did you mean?" she asked.

Amarant sighed. "I'm not sure I'm quite the right person to tell you that, Kiara."

"Oh..." she said, bowing her head.

"I'll put it this way: your parents... What were their names?" he asked ominously.

"... Ivan and Julie..." she answered.

"Kiara..." he said, deeply. "They weren't your _real_ parents..." Amarant informed her.

Kiara was shook back slightly, astonished by this newly discovered fact in her life...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The woods were silent. The usual breeze slowly brushed through the trees and shrubs of deep green translucent leaves that the afternoon sun glared through. The flush colours of the plants and flowers became lighter and more attractive with the warm glow of the sun. Leaves rustled calmly in the cool breeze.

Suddenly, something sped through the woodland at an immeasurable speed. It was almost a blur to the naked eye. The figure hardly disturbed the gentle shrubs, however, as it zoomed past the trees and bushes. Soon, it had passed through the opening of the woods and stopped at the bottom of the slope. Kiara stood up and quickly caught her breath before leaping from boulder to boulder up the hill. Amarant watched from the camp site, observing and admiring her every move. The teenager moved so agile and almost flawlessly. Nearly every move was made with total control. Eventually she touched down and breathed in.

"That's enough, Kiara, you've done well." Her mentor said.

She walked back to him slowly but efficiently. Her body was more toned than it was before, her arms supporting exercised and rounded biceps, but they were not so appealing that they ruined her womanly figure. Her stomach was still a soft sight to the male eye and her bosom was still perky and full for her age. Her body was still slim and curvy. Kiara stood before Amarant.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" she said.

"It was better than 'not bad'. I'm must say I'm impressed. It's been four months since I began training you and you've soaked it up like a sponge." Amarant replied.

"Four months... it's gone by really quick."

"I think it's time I tested you again."

"Tested?"

"Yes, let's see if you can beat me in a duel."

Kiara looked reluctant and concerned for a short moment, but her face soon grew confident as she had every faith in 49 year old monk.

"Let's do it!" she stated.

The two assumed stances ready for combat.

"Let's see how good you are... Now, try and hit me!" Amarant commanded.

Kiara quickly dived towards him at high speed. Amarant leapt back and attempted to grab her as she landed. Anticipating his move, Kiara realigned herself in mid air, landed with her hands on the ground and rebounded into the air just as Amarant swung his hand round with an open palm. She cunningly wrapped her tail round his wrist and pulled herself towards him, ready to strike. Suddenly, Amarant spun his arm round a few times and threw Kiara across the meadow.

When she hit the ground, she bounced herself into the air and recovered after several back flips, landing professionally. She grinned at her mentor cheekily. The red head sped towards her, strafing from left to right. Keeping track of him, Kiara slid along the grass and rolled over and launched both her feet at him. Amarant quickly evaded by leaping over her. When she got to her feet, they were back-to-back.

"You're doing well, Kiara. Better than I thought you would." Amarant complemented.

"Hah! I'm full of surprises!" she responded.

"Don't hold back now. Come at me!" he commanded.

With that, they both turned around and charged at one another. When they struck, Kiara had blocked a punch Amarant had thrown at her while he had caught hers. The remained motionless, matching each other's physical strength. Then, they instantly pulled away and Kiara jumped towards him. He saw her coming and leant sideways to dodge her attack. She continued to throw a volley of punches and kicks at him, but he managed to evade them all. Only this time, he experienced difficulty. Quickly, Amarant back flipped then launched himself at her.

"Hah! Gotcha!" she said with confidence.

In the blink of an eye, Kiara bent backwards until she was on all fours with her belly facing up, and she braced herself. She was low enough for Amarant to go straight over her, and when he did, she fired herself up, the force of which struck Amarant in the chest, and he was forced into mid air. Kiara regained her composure, jumped up and kicked Amarant in the back, causing him to grunt and fall to the ground, defeated.

After a few seconds he got to his feet and glared at his apprentice. She froze as he looked at her and began to feel a bit concerned when he had that piercing look in his eyes. Amarant then relaxed and began to clap her.

"Well done... You've beaten me." He admitted.

Kiara jumped up and waved her arms in the air with excitement.

"Yes! I did it! I finally did it!" she cheered.

"Congratulations, you've come a long way in just four months. I'm proud of you." Said Amarant.

Kiara smiled. "I feel so much stronger now, Amarant. I think I can make a bit of a difference now."

Amarant frowned. "Hmm. I'm afraid not. Not like this. There's still training to be done."

Kiara's smile vanished and was replaced by one of concern and wonder. "What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong. You're powerful as you are now. You've gone beyond the limits of what normal people can do. But there's a key factor that you must achieve before you are ready."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Kiara... Have you ever heard of Trance?" asked Amarant.

The young fighter pondered for a few moments.

"I've heard that term before... But, I'm not sure what it is." She answered.

"Trance is a physical state that enhances the fighting abilities of whoever induces it. It's represented by a glowing light of varying colour, depending on the person. It allows you to do things that you would, normally, never be able to do. In a lot of the battles me, and the other 7, challenged 23 years ago, it was a key element for victory." He explained.

"Wow! I've never heard of that. Can you do it?"

"Yes."

"Can you show me?"

"No. The funny thing about Trance is that, once it is first achieved, it could induce at anytime. It could be at an inconvenient time where you really don't need it, then, when you do need it, it might not happen. It's hard to predict when it will occur, but nevertheless, it's a crucial part of fighting, especially in these times."

"Okay then. So what's the deal?"

"Before we go any further, you're going to have to induce Trance." Said Amarant.

Kiara stepped back a little. "Me! A-Are you sure? I mean, do you think I could handle it? It sounds like something that only happens to the truly gifted."

"Oh, Kiara. You have no idea how gifted you are."

"What?"

"Trust me; you'll be able to do it."

"... Really?"

"Yes. The hard part is making it happen for the first time. It works unlike anything else." Explained the monk.

"How do you mean?"

"It doesn't happen just because you're strong. You have to feel something, it occurs only when you experience a massive surge of emotion."

"Okay... So how do I make it happen?"

"You have to have an emotional thought in your head and concentrate on it. It's painful, but it's best to concentrate on a thought that makes you sad, upset or angry."

Kiara's look of enthrallment faded when she immediately got a sorrowful image in her head. "Well, you know full I've got one of those."

"I know you've been trying to repress it, Kiara. You've been doing a good job on that, but, maybe you could use it as one of your greatest weapons."

"But it hurts when I think of them! My home, my parents, my friends, everyone." She said with a tear appearing in her eye.

"Kiara, you must induce Trance. It's a vital ability, and, as harsh as it is, the death of your parents is the best life line you have to achieve it."

The teenager turned away, shaking her head whilst trying to hold her tears back. Her heart dropped at the very memory of that day four months prior. Then, realising what was best, she wiped her tear away.

"Alright... I'll do it..." she said.

"Good... Be strong, Kiara. You'll pull through..."

Sometime later, Kiara stood in the centre of the meadow. Amarant watched from the side lines. Her body was calm and relaxed. Her eyes were closed. Her tail hung calmly from her lower back. She breathed the fresh air in through her lungs as she prepared herself. Amarant's watchful eye never deviated from his trainee.

"_Come on, Kiara. You can do this. I have faith."_

The area was deathly silent. It was soothing, but at the same time, tense. Inside Kiara's mind was a replay of the horrible and heart wrenching sights she saw four months ago. Her home engulfed in flames, the inhabitants of Merridor lying lifeless on the ground. But the image that stuck out most was seeing her parents, the very people who loved and cared for her all her life, dead in front of her destroyed home. Kiara always died a little inside whenever that thought raced through her mind. However, she did what Amarant said and concentrated on the thought, as painful as it was. Her sorrow soon became rage and she clenched her fists tighter than ever before. Her veins bulged from her hands and neck as she began to feed off of the emotion she felt. She grinded her teeth together and tightened her face. Her tail also tensed up, curling slightly as she arched her back a little.

"Yes... she's doing it..." Amarant murmured to himself.

The wind picked up as Kiara began to gain power. Her rage swelled up within her as she concentrated on her hurtful memory. Her clenched fists began to bleed. Every hair on her body stood on end as her anger started to engulf her. The trees swayed more violently than before. The more Kiara suffered, the stronger she became.

"That's it, Kiara! You're getting there! Remember what Red Star did to you! How they ruined your life and ravaged your home! They murdered innocent children, children you knew and they didn't lose a second of sleep! Feed off your sorrow, Kiara!" Amarant yelled out, encouraging her.

Suddenly, her body began to glow. A bright light pulsated that covered Kiara. Amarants eyes widened with amazement, his jaw had dropped as low as it could. But then, in an instant, the light faded, the wind stopped and Kiara fell to her knees, exhausted. Tears rolled down her cheeks once again. The monk sighed before he walked up to the teenager.

"... I'm sorry, Amarant... It was too hard... I couldn't keep it up..." she uttered whilst panting and wiping her tears away.

"Don't be sorry, Kiara. You almost had it. I've never seen anyone make such progress on their first attempt at Trance. You did very well." He consoled.

Kiara was emotionally damaged from the experience. "It hurt... It hurt so much, Amarant..."

"... I know... but you have to keep trying. Take some time to cool off then we'll try again, alright?"

Kiara only nodded meekly.

As the days went on, Kiara tried and tried again, but was unable to induce a stated of Trance. Both her body and heart were suffering through this process, but she was determined to achieve her goal.

"GRAAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed as she attempted to induce Trance again. However, her exhausted body and drained soul were rearing their ugly heads; they were affecting her progress greatly. She seemed to be getting further and further away from her objective with each attempt. She, once again, failed and collapsed on the ground.

Amarant went and sat down next to her.

"Huff-huff... I... I can't... I just can't... I can't do it..." said Kiara.

Amarant said nothing. He did, however, offer her an apple from his pocket.

"Eat. Get some of your strength back." He advised.

Taking his advice, she reached up, took the apple and sank her teeth into its flesh and pulled a chuck out to swallow.

"... I've been trying... for days now... why is it... so hard?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Sometimes, warriors go their whole life and never induce Trance. Maybe it's something to do with the generation..." Amarant pondered.

There was a period of silence between the two of them.

"Amarant..." said Kiara.

"What..." he responded.

"I've always wondered... I don't know what it was you were fighting 23 years ago... What happened?" she asked, curiously.

Amarant was reluctant to answer at first, but he then began to open up to her.

"It's a long and slightly complicated story. And I can only tell it from my point of view. You've heard of planet Terra, yes?"

"Yes, I read a whole book on that. It was very... in depth about it."

"The person who wrote that book came from Terra originally."

"Really?"

"Yes. The author is a girl called Mikoto. Or, at least she was a girl; she's a fully grown woman now. But the book only tells about Terra's history. The fact is that what, or should I say who we were fighting came from Terra as well. Now not all fighters are good. And this one went as bad as you can go!" Amarant said.

Kiara listened in silence.

"His name was Kuja and, to put it simply, he was the ultimate badass. He created a whole other dimension made of memories above the Iifa Tree. I didn't really get involved as to what was going on when we went through but we did eventually find Kuja at the end of that depressing place. He was going to destroy Gaia's crystal, but we got there just in time and stopped him."

"Was he strong?" Kiara asked.

"He was defiantly up there, but strongest opponent I've ever faced was some weird bouncy-ball looking thing that we fought in the clouds. Ironically, Kuja was in Trance when we fought against him."

"You mean... he managed to induce it?"

"Yes. But he didn't do it the way you've been trying. He wasn't a full being, his life had a limit. I'm not good on the details of what happened there but, as far as I know he absorbed a powerful soul and used its emotional surge to achieve Trance, because he was incapable, or something." Said Amarant, vividly.

"A powerful soul?"

"Yeah, it was the soul of the old Queen of Alexandria, Queen Brahne."

"Huh? How did he do that?"

"Oh, I dunno. It's too complicated for me to understand. There are other people who know more than me. Anyway, it doesn't matter now. That low life is dead." Answered Amarant.

All of a sudden, a distant sound could be heard in the background. It wasn't long before both Amarant and Kiara could hear it.

"Listen..." said Amarant.

The pair of them stayed silent, listening to the noise. It skimmed the wind as it blew past them. The sound began to get louder. Amarant stood up immediately.

"That noise... I've heard it before..."

Kiara got to her feet as well. "What is it?"

"If it is what it was last time, we're in trouble..." he said.

Kiara began to get nervous.

"Dammit... Why would they come all the way out here again!" cursed Amarant.

"Amarant. You're making me nervous. Tell me, what's going on." Kiara demanded.

By now the noise was very clear. It was the sound of propellers.

"Is that... An airship?" asked the teenager.

Amarant suddenly ran further up the slope, and Kiara quickly followed. When they reached the top, they looked out to where the noise was coming from. On the other side of the woods, they could see the town of Surceil. To the East was a small group of black airships. Each one bearing the emblem on a red coloured star.

"Dammit! It's them!" Amarant shouted.

"Who!"

"Red Star!"

Kiara gasped in horror. The enemy was very close by. The duo took off down the slope and into the woods, towards Surceil.

Meanwhile, the people of Surceil recognised the emblem on the airships and fled in fear. The streets quickly became deserted as the residents ran for shelter. When one of the airships was over the town, an anchored rope was dropped down that landed on the main street. Sliding down came a woman, dressed in grey and black leather clothes. She had long black hair and haunting red eyes.

She soon landed on the ground and began to walk around the perimeter. Suddenly, another rope dropped down from one of the other airships. What came down it this time was a Burmecian. It was wearing bulky, purple and pink armour with yellow outlines. On his shoulders were round globes bristling with electricity. He wore a helmet that resembled his armour in colour, his face and ears were visible. His tail stuck out from his lower back. Both warriors had the Red Star emblem on their shoulders.

"I don't see why we have to come here. Shouldn't Jack-O be more bothered about Dark Saga?" asked the Burmecian.

"Hmph. I stopped asking questions a while ago. It's hopeless trying to figure our leader out. But what the heck; he still pays us." Said the woman.

"Yeah, well there is that. And we also get to bust some ass here in the fresh town."

"Is that all you think about? Violence?"

"No, I think about the pay as well."

"Uhh, you're so stupid..."

"Whatever, Losvaize. I've been aching to stretch my legs since we set off. Let's get to works already!"

With that, both of them launched an attack on the defenceless town.

At that time, Amarant and Kiara emerged from the woods and were a lot closer to Surceil.

"Are they going to raid Surceil, Amarant?" asked Kiara, urgently.

"Are they going to? They already are! I can see two of them down there already." He answered.

The monk pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked down at the town through them. An explosion occurred after a burst of light and it created another black smoke cloud, bringing back terrible memories form Kiara.

"No... Not again..." she uttered.

"I see 'em!" said Amarant, looking through the binoculars. "Damn! There are _two_ agents down there!"

"TWO!"

"Yeah... I was afraid of this happening! It's Bolt and Losvaize, two of Red Stars best! But why are they out here! Shouldn't they be at the mainland!" the monk questioned.

"We have to do something! I can't let what happened to Merridor happen to Surceil! It would destroy me! The people need time to evacuate!" Kiara yelled.

Amarant quietly put his binoculars away without saying a word.

"Well say something, dammit!" Kiara continued.

The red head looked down at her with his regular serious look.

"Kiara, you have to stay here while I go." He said.

Kiara clenched her fists. "NO WAY! I'm not going stay here! I'm going to help you! That's what I've been training for!" she shouted, almost in tears.

"No Kiara. You're strong, I know that more than anyone, but you're not ready for this! I wouldn't let you come even if there was just one agent involved!"

"But you can't handle them on your own! I know I haven't induced Trance, but I can still fight! I can back you up! I'm not gonna stand and watch when people need me! Come one, Amarant! I can help!"

Amarant stood silent looking into her soul and she looked back with determined eyes. She wasn't going to let him go by himself. Amarant was hastened as he heard the carnage starting below them.

"Alright then, Kiara. We'll go together." He finally said.

"Yes! I know we can do it if we work as a team!" Kiara said with confidence.

When she turned to face the town, however, Amarant struck her on the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious. Kiara fell to the floor like a rag doll, lifelessly. She was still breathing fine.

"I'm sorry, Kiara. I know you want to help. But you have no idea how dangerous the situation is. That's why I'm going it alone. You're not going to like this, I know. But if you're there I won't be able to fight to my full potential, you'll only distract me. It's for your own good, please understand. Maybe, you'll thank me some day, when you're older..." he said to her while she lay in the dirt.

"_I've never known anyone like you, Kiara. The kindness and compassion of your mother with the playful spark of your father... I never knew what it was like to have a friend until I met you. You say I changed your life. Well, you changed mine as well... for the better. I'm proud to call you my friend..."_ he thought.

With that, Amarant pulled out his knuckled blades, armed himself and jumped down the ledge and rushed to Surceil, leaving Kiara behind...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"AAAAHH! They're here! Run!" screamed the residents of Surceil as they fled in desperation to escape death from Red Star. Men, women and children ran in fear from the pitch black airships that hovered above. More anchors dropped from the hulls and soldiers wearing dark silver armour bearing Red Star's emblem came sliding down the chains. They were armed with swords, spears, axes and cross bows as they raided the town pulling down buildings and killing those that were not quick enough.

"Move out! Leave none alive!" Bolt commanded. "Search and destroy!"

The two agents lead the troops deeper into the town. The seemed to kill without emotion, their facial expressions hidden beneath their helmets. Residents who were armed attempted to fight back, but to no avail. The Red Star soldiers were too large in number and their strength was too great. They grabbed helpless, screaming women and dragged them away, possibly to torture and rape them.

Losvaize stood atop a church steeple overlooking the carnage from above. Her face was emotionless and her eyes ever watchful, rarely missing a single detail of the onslaught. Suddenly, she spotted a woman with two children who had deviated from the fleeing victims in a different direction.

"Bolt! Family of three towards the back alleys!" she informed her comrade.

The evil Burmecian looked towards where she was pointing and had the escaping family in sight. "You two! Don't let those three get away! After them!" he commanded, two soldiers followed his orders and gave chase.

The woman was a single mother, her children, a boy and a girl, were panicking frantically. "Stay with me, children! Don't let go of my hands!" the mother said, in an attempt to protect them.

The two soldiers were close behind and gaining fast, not burdened with what the woman had with her. They forced her to follow a specific path until, to her horror; the three civilians hit a dead end. "No... NO!" she screamed in dread. She turned and saw the soldiers moving slowly towards them, knowing that they were caught.

The mother held her children close and covered their faces. "Close your eyes children..." she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. The assailants picked up their speed to a run, blades at the ready.

Suddenly, a figure leaped down in front of the family and quickly cut the soldiers down. Amarant turned around to look at the three victims.

"T-Thank you!" the woman said, gobsmacked and freeing her children's eyes.

"Get out of here! Now!" the monk commanded. The three obliged and ran past him, towards the town entrance to escape.

Amarant ran towards the main force of the invaders. They spotted him and charged at the red head.

"No Mercy!" he called and fired a white ball of energy through the middle, taking out a large bulk of them.

He then leaped from side to side, picking off the remaining soldiers. By the end of the assault, his blades were covered in blood. More troops appeared soon enough and attacked him. Amarant blocked the front man's spear, spun round and decapitated him, stealing his weapon. The monk used it impale the rest of them, using his blades as a backup. He then threw the javelin, killing a distant cross bower.

Not far away, Losvaize spotted the read haired monk. Her face tightened at the very sight of him and her thin lips slowly curved into a grin.

""What luck... To find _him_ all the way out here... Perfect..." she murmured to herself. "Bolt! You're with me! We have a special guest!"

The armoured Burmecian raised an eye brow at her. He then looked to where she was staring and saw for himself the Flaming Amarant fighting off their soldiers. The evil creature smiled sinisterly and licked his lips while chuckling.

"Looks like we got ourselves an outlaw. His bounty is mine!" Bolt declared before galloping towards the monk.

"Not while I'm around..." said Losvaize, before she leaped from the steeple and raced her ally to their goal.

Amarant finished off the last of the current wave of soldiers that invaded the town. "GO! RUN!" he yelled at the civilians. The town's people obliged and stampeded out of the town and headed south, towards the small port of Malrom to escape the island.

Another small wave of troops appeared, shouting and screaming at Amarant with their swords at the ready. The monk reached into his pocket, grabbed a handful of gil and fired it at them. It struck like blades and went straight though them all, killing them instantly. "... Spare Change..." he muttered.

"Impressive!" a female voice sounded. The monk looked around and spotted Losvaize clapping him from the sidelines. His attitude became more serious at that very moment, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth.

"I don't know of anyone else who can use money as a weapon. It's really quite fascinating." She continued.

"Your soldiers were on the receiving end." He remarked.

"No worries, they're expendable. But, here you are... the real Amarant Coral. After inexplicably disappearing 4 months ago, we find you here on a remote island when you could have been on the Mist Continent, helping your friends. Now, why is that, Amarant? What have you been doing here?"

The monk chuckled. "You'll find out... One day..."

Bolt suddenly appeared behind him. "Why not tell us now?"

Amarant faced the Burmecian with a seemingly worry free attitude. "What fun would that be? I know what you agents are like for surprises." He said, smirking. "Besides, there's a bounty on my head, just waiting to be collected. Any volunteers?" he said, mocking them.

Bolt growled in irritation and leaped towards Amarant. The monk back flipped, avoiding the agent and dived towards him, striking him and knocking the Burmecian to the ground, but he quickly recovered. He then formed a ball of lighting in each hand, clapped them together and fired a beam of electricity at Amarant. He jumped up in midair to avoid it.

"No Mercy!" he yelled and fired a white ball of energy at Bolt. The Burmecian saw the attack coming and jumped back to make it miss him. The ball smashed into the ground.

"Hahaha! You'll have to do better than that!" Bolt mocked.

"Really?" he smirked before raising his arm in the air. The two agents looked puzzled. But, suddenly, Amarant's No Mercy attack burst out of the ground, striking Bolt in the stomach. He was winded and fell to the floor to catch his breath. The monk landed swiftly on his feet.

Frustrated, the glowing spheres on Bolt's shoulder plates began pulsating rapidly. "Thundaga!" he chanted.

Amarant tried to get out of the spell's range, but Losvaize appeared out of nowhere, kneeing him in the stomach and immobilizing him. The lightning spell struck the monk, causing him to shout out in pain and receive a massive electric shock that flooded through his entire body. He then fell on his hands and knees.

"Losvaize! What the hell! I don't need your help, I can handle him!" Bolt complained.

"Yeah right. If I hadn't of stepped in, he would have avoided that attack easily. Do not underestimate him or the others. That's why they all have bounties on their heads. It'll take us both to get his." she answered.

The Burmecian groaned but had no option but to agree with her.

"Ugh... Yeah... that's it... I know how you all operate. There's no such thing as honour when it comes to an agent... All you care about is the money... And you call yourselves warriors." Said Amarant as he rose to his feet.

"You wouldn't want to make us angry, Amarant..." Losvaize warned.

"You keep using that name like you know who I am... Ha... Haha..."

"What's so funny?" Bolt questioned.

"Hahaha... I am a lone warrior... who has long since forgotten his name... Kinda sad isn't it..." Amarant answered calmly.

"Right! I've heard enough of your crap! You're only good to me dead!" Bolt yelled.

Suddenly, Losvaize drew a pair of finely crafted, curved daggers that gleamed brightly. "For once, Bolt, we agree on something."

In the short stalemate between them, the sunlight began to suffocate, being blocked out by thick, black clouds that appeared in the sky. After a few seconds, small droplets of water began to fall from them. They soon developed into a light shower, then a huge down pour over the battle field. Losvaize, with her hair saturated and drooping over her face, looked towards her ally, who looked back and they nodded at each other silently. She then looked back at Amarant.

"This rain... It's the perfect setting for your demise..." she said.

"... I don't fear you... Never have done, never will... If I truly am condemned today, I can die in peace, knowing that you, the rest of Red Star, and Dark Saga, will not dominate this world until its final days... I know... That someone will stop you... Someone much stronger than me will take my place... And put an end to your reign of terror..." said the red head.

The two agents said nothing.

They began to move simultaneously and symmetrical to each other. Their movements were made with such care and control it was almost hypnotising. They both darted to their sides, and sped towards Amarant. The monk braced himself and became locked in a struggle with them. Punches, kicks and spells were thrown at Amarant, he did his absolute best to keep up and counter them.

He quickly leaped away from them and jumped up the wreckage of a tall building, and was followed by Losvaize. She readied her blades and slashed Amarants arm. Ignoring the pain, the monk grabbed her leg, to her surprise, sung her over his head and threw her down through the roof of the structure.

Bolt hovered over head and began firing lightning at him. He swiftly dodged them all, picked up a brick and hurled it towards the Burmecian. Due to his heavy armour, Bolt was unable to move in time, and as a result, it struck him in the head, causing him to flinch. Taking his chance, Amarant jumped up and grabbed his enemy's tail. He climbed up to his shoulders and wrapped his legs around Bolts waist. The monk stabbed his claws into the Burmecians chest plate and forced him to lean back, revealing a weak spot. The monk started punching him in his vulnerable stomach, causing Bolt to cry out in pain from the damage he was sustaining. After a minute or two of torture, Bolt managed to grab onto Amarant and send an electrical discharge through his body, which was amplified by the heavy rain.

Stunned from the shock, Amarant loosened his grip, which allowed the agent to swing him round and throw him into the structure. He plummeted through the roof and landed within a large hall. The rain fell through the hole in the ceiling and Bolts shadow appeared over Amarant. He rolled to one side when, the Burmecian descended. Amarant readied his claws for combat.

"Over here..." whispered a voice from behind him.

The monk turned around to be kicked in the stomach and slashed across the face by Losvaize. The agents stood either side of him and began to unleash spells upon their victim. Amarant was hit by spell after spell, which eventually beat him to the ground. The agents charged at his flawed body and kicked him simultaneously through the wall, back outside.

Bolt and Losvaize leaped out after him, to find him rising to his feet, glowing. Amarant, let out a loud battle cry as a bright light engulfed him. When it cleared, he looked different: he had entered Trance.

"... Bring it on..." he said.

The agents lunged towards him at full force. Amarant put his guard up just before they slammed into him. They shoved him backwards with all their might, but the monk struck back my forcing them back and knocked them into the dirt like a battering ram. Losvaize got to her feet but was greeted with a slash across her chest and a kick to the face. She grunted as she plunged to the ground yet again.

Bolt then rose up and swung his fist at Amarant, but using his enhanced speed; he ducked, stuck his leg out and spun round 360 degrees, tripping the Burmecian up. He yelped as he thudded against the ground.

Suddenly both agents got up and back flipped away from him. Bolt casted Thundara, but missed as Amarant strafed to avoid it. However, Losvaize used this as a diversion and threw one of her daggers at Amarant, impaling his shoulder. The monk shouted out as it struck, but was unable to act as Bolt casted Thundara again, only this time, the lightning struck, the rain amplifying its power. The force of the spell threw Amarant back and Losvaize jumped towards him, grabbed his shoulders and stomped her feet against his chest. Staying on his feet, Amarant grabbed her hips and tried to get her off him, but to no avail. The female agent got him in a headlock and used her free arm to remove her blade from his shoulder, causing more pain and damage. Blood spilled from the open wound.

Losvaize climbed round to his back and began to choke him, causing Amarant to kneel and immobilizing him again. Bolt then charged at the monk repeatedly while he was incapacitated. Every strike sent a flood of electricity through him. Losvaize held his head back, giving Bolt more room.

Soon after though, Amarant cried out as loud as he could and gained more strength, which he used reach back, grab Losvaize, lift her over his head and throw her into her ally, giving her an electric shock, and they both fell to the ground.

They soon both rose up to see Amarant ready to fire No Mercy. The monk gave a battle cry before launching the attack, and the energy sphere sped towards the agents at neck-breaking speeds. Bolt and Losvaize, however, had time to dodge by diving in opposite directions and the attack missed them. They looked at their enemy with faces of whit and triumph. But then, Amarant separated his hands brought them to his sides. The due looked puzzled for a few moments before turning round to see Amarants famed attack split into two and come back at them. With no time to avoid them, Bolt and Losvaize were sent into the air and slammed on the floor when it hit them.

Losvaize quickly jumped to her feet and gave Amarant a powerfully serious and calm face. "That's it. No more games..." she said.

Bolt also rose up with an almost exact expression upon his face. They briefly looked at each other, as if giving some kind of signal. The pair's eyes then locked back onto Amarant. The monk stood strong, his Trance form lighting up the surrounding ghost town. The rain hammered violently from the pitch black cloud that blocked all sunlight, making it seem like the middle of the night.

"Come on then... Do it... You can't win... You can never destroy what I stand for..." Amarant said, quietly in almost a whisper.

Suddenly, Losvaize charged at Amarant. The monk put up his guard, ready to repel whatever she threw at him. As soon as she reached him, the agent launched her fist at him while she jumped over his head, revealing that Bolt was right behind her. With Amarant focusing on the airborne Losvaize, the Burmecian, sent an electric current into his fist and buried it into the monk's stomach. The electric shock and the force of the attack went so deep that Amarant felt and heard his spine crack. He screamed out in agony and was forced to let his guard down.

Still with his fist striking Amarant, Bolt lifted him and threw him up in the air. Losvaize jumped up after him, stuck her dagger in his hip, making the monk cry out again. She swung him round and launched him back down towards Bolt. The evil rat created a powerful electrical discharge between his tensed hands that crackled like a million streaks of bacon on a barbeque. He then launched it up, past Amarant and Losvaize, before throwing his hands down and bringing the deadly bolt of electricity back down towards his target.

"THUNDERSTRIKE!" he shouted as the attack struck the suffering monk.

The lightning shocked and burned Amarant with its intensity, giving him the worst agony he has ever felt. He was screaming so loud that he almost hyper ventilated. The force of the attack shot him to the ground, where he landed in an alley way between two buildings. Amarant hit the floor with a loud thud and skidded a short distance across the dirt. His clothes were torn and shredded and his skin was badly burnt, it was agonising to even move a finger. As the rain fell, each drop stung his body and very quiet hisses sounded and the rain quenched his torched skin. The wounds of his hip and shoulder gaped open and blood oozed from them. He was also spitting up blood and it ran down his chin, through the singed hairs of his beard and onto his neck.

Amarant then managed to open his eyes and saw Bolt and Losvaize standing on the building tops, gazing down at his lifeless body. He could do nothing look back up at them, showing no emotion at all.

The rain ran down the agent's faces while they stared at their victim. They then looked at each other and grinned sinisterly and triumphantly.

"Now!" Losvaize commanded. The duo began charging finishing spells. Lightning surrounded Bolt while Fire surrounded Losvaize. Then, the agents showered Amarant with their chosen elements in the form of bolts of thunder and fire.

The spells ravaged Amarant as they fired down at him. Each one went right through his body. The monk began scream out loud again, but this time, it was a death cry. There was nothing he could do to defend himself from the unreal power of the agent's combined forces. The magic attacks tore through his flesh and shattered his bones. They burned him, electrocuted him and crushed his fighting spirit. The dying monk let out one last scream before he was finally silenced by a bright light, and soon after, an explosion.

The agents jumped to safety while their attacks decimated the building formation they were standing on. Rubble went flying into the air and scattered all over Surceil. A cloud of dust hovered over the site, but soon disappeared due to the heavy down pour.

Bolt and Losvaize met up next to their airship and they looked back at the destroyed town.

"... So who gets the bounty?" asked Bolt.

"I think we can split it 50-50. It was a joint effort after all." Losvaize replied.

"I suppose... It WAS me that gave the fatal hit though."

"Ugh... You're so childish..."

Losvaize then boarded the air craft and Bolt followed. The airship rose from the ground, turned round and headed back to the mainland, leaving the island almost desolate, cursed with plaguing rain.

A short while later, at a rock formation a few miles away from Surceil, Kiara's eyes flickered open. She was soaking wet from the rain which startled her as she rose to her knees. She exclaimed and rubbed the back of her neck. In doing that, she remembered what happened.

"Amarant! Amarant!" she yelled.

When her eyes adjusted, she looked down at Surceil and saw it in ruins. Buildings were demolished and string fires resisting the rain could be seen.

"Amarant! NO! Damn it! Why did you go alone!"

As quick as a flash, she got to her feet and slid down the rock formation and ran down the hill towards Surceil. As she ran, her heart pounded in her chest. Her stomach turned, fearing the worst for her mentor. Tears ran down her face, but with the rain, it was hard to spot from a distance.

When she reached the town, Kiara went straight for the main high street. She suddenly stopped as soon as she reached a sea of dead bodies, saturated by the rain, which gave off a gut wrenching rotting smell. The sheer sight of this and the stench was too much for Kiara, and, thus, she went behind a pile of rubble and threw up. When she came back round, the teenager covered her nose and mouth with her hand to avoid smelling the foul odour of death.

Kiara began wading through the corpses, mostly of Red Star soldiers, but there were many civilians among them. The smell was so strong the she was gipping even with her hand protecting her face. She stopped however and began crying when she saw that a baby, not even a year old, was also murdered in cold blood, in his mother's arms. The mother had been beaten and raped violently and the child was forced to watch. Internally hurt by this sight, Kiara bowed her head, paid her respects, and moved on, not glancing at the terrible scene again.

"Amarant! AMARANT! Where are you!" she called out.

The only response she got was from the cloud, as thunder howled through the air. Kiara's hair drooped over her face and drops of water splashed against her cheeks. She continued through the city of the dead, still attempting to shield herself from the smell of wet and rotten flesh. The teenager continued to call out to Amarant but there was no life in this horrific after image of a colossal slaughter.

After travelling from street to street, wading between dead bodies, Kiara arrived at an open area. It appeared to be a crater where an explosion had taken place. There was rubble scattered everywhere and puddles of varying size were in random spots dotted around the perimeter. After scanning the area, in the middle, was Amarant, lying motionless, face down in a large puddle.

"AMARANT!" she cried. Kiara ran towards him as fast as she could. When she reached him, she ground to a halt and stood over him with painful eyes.

"Amarant...?" she said, meekly. "Amarant... N-No... (sniff-sniff)... What did they do to you, Amarant...?"

Tears poured from her eyes as she stood in the aggressive down pour, staring at Amarant's lifeless body. His face was full underwater and his hair gridlocked.

"... You were all I had left... You were _everything_ to me... Everything... This just isn't fair!"

Kiara crouched down and rolled Amarant over so that his head was out of the water. She held him in her arms and closed his eyes with a soft stroke of her hand. Her tears slashed on his face as she held him even closer.

"Amarant... Amarant! AMARANT!" she screamed as loud as she could. Her voice echo through the town with nobody to listen. She dropped Amarant's body and stood strong on her feet and she cried like she had never cried before. She clenched her fists so tight that they began to bleed. He tail tensed and curled up and veins appeared on her head and neck as she became overcome with emotion.

Then, something snapped.

He body began glowing, pulsing slowly. As her suffering continued, the light became brighter, and brighter, and brighter. Soon enough a flash of light engulfed her as she screamed. Her muscles became larger and her horn turned white and grew about 8 inches. Her clothes disappeared and were replaced with golden fur and her skin turned purple. When the light cleared and her new form revealed she slammed the ground, still continuing her tantrum. The earth was dented by her blow and cracks formed in the dirt.

When she stopped, Kiara slowly stood up and was astonished by her transformation. Unsure as to what had happened she panicked a little before she saw her reflection in a puddle. She gazed at herself intently.

"... So _this_ is Trance..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

What seemed like an eternity passed since Red Star destroyed Surceil. The town was ravaged beyond comprehension, impossible to be rebuilt, especially with all the humiliatingly gruesome casualties. Those that survived were drained of strength and emotion, men and alike women were widowed and children were rendered motherless, fatherless and even parentless altogether. The sky was stained from the thick, black smoke of the Surceilian ruin. The air was filled with cries, moans and despair. There was only one thing for anyone left to do: head to the small port of Malrom and get and a ship that took them to the mainland to seek shelter and protection. The survivors formed a group and stayed together, but there were stragglers who couldn't go on and nothing could be done for them.

Among the slow moving crowd was Kiara, exhausted and devastated. Her head was hung low and her tail sluggishly slithered along the dirt behind her and was covered in the slushy mud. Her attire was mucky and tattered; her greasy hair stuck to her face where her tears fell and her face was grey with dirt. She weakly stumbled along like the rest of the crowd, only she was a silent as a mouse.

Hours passed as they travelled along the dirt road and Malrom was still a few miles away. There were monsters such as Fang's and Bandersnatch's following them and picking off any stragglers. Kiara managed to move her neck and look around her. She saw men of authority as helpless as the smallest child, people clinging onto whatever belongings they had left. Babies were crying while their mothers, fathers or whoever was looking after them hopelessly tried to calm them down. Fully grown adults could also be heard making moans of futility. Some people carried the wounded on their backs or held them in their arms. They had very few supplies to last them the remaining distance to Malrom.

But still, Kiara kept pushing herself to go on, and with every step she questioned herself as to why she was forcing herself to keep going. She had no family, no friends and she had no idea what she'll do when she reaches the Mist Continent. Perhaps fate would choose a path for her? Kiara kept wondering what her purpose could be, but, somehow, she knew she had to stay alive.

Time seemed to slow down as the slowly decreasing group of refugees blundered towards the only place left on the island. Vulture-like birds flew over their heads. Kiara looked up to see Trick Sparrows circling the skies above them, waiting for them to die off. She felt no fear, however. There was nothing those flying scavengers could do to her that would out match the pain she already feels after losing her home, her parents and Amarant. Part of her welcomed death, but her heart kept shouting for her to continue on. That was only motivation she had left.

Finally, after experiencing what seemed like weeks, they passed a sign saying that Malrom was half a mile away. There were murmurs of relief throughout the crowd as the smell of the ocean began to fill the air and distant sounds of boat horns could be hear not far away. The path became more uphill which stole more energy from Kiara's already aching bones.

Soon, though, they reached the brow of the hill and they were greeted with the sight of Malrom port at the bottom of the slope. There were several steamers sitting in the bays on the shoreline and smoke was still rising from the chimneys of the small, industrial town. To anyone else it looked like a small ship dock with the bare minimum essentials of a town. But to Kiara and all the other refugees, it seemed like heaven. Shouts and yells could be heard from the crowd of relief and joy. Women began crying with happiness and men and children cheered at the sight of hope. Kiara, although glad, made no noise or look of relief. She merely kept shuffling her feet in Malrom's direction.

The crowd seemed hypnotised by the ringing of the bells and bellows of the ship's horns. They rushed as fast as they could, that was no faster than a light jog, towards the industrial port. Kiara looked up and read an old, beat up sign that read:

"_Welcome to Malrom! Gate way to the Mist Continent!"_

Stone slabs covered the ground and the buildings were old fashioned, made of solid stone and metal frames. What townspeople that were left in Malrom welcomed Kiara's group and assured them that there was enough room for everyone to migrate overseas. The crowd split into many small groups as the survivors of Surceil were offered food and water. Kiara's stomach curdled at the sight of food and her throat felt drier when she saw water being offered. Everyone was crowded round the stalls, gorging themselves on whatever they could get their hands on. She approached a stall, gasping for something to eat and drink. An old woman walked over to Kiara and gave her a plate of bread and a glass of fresh, cool water.

"Here you go young one. Dig in, you must be starving!" the woman said.

Kiara said nothing; she only nodded as a way of saying thank you. The old woman watched her as she tore chunks of the bread and swallowed them whole and gulped the water. Never before had Kiara been so glad to feel the cool liquid flow through her mouth and sooth the tightening of her bone dry throat.

"My, my, you _were_ hungry weren't you!" the woman chuckled.

Kiara nodded.

"Are you on your own, pet? Where's your family?"

Kiara bowed her head. This was enough for the old woman to understand.

"... I see. I'm sorry for your loss, dear. There are many others like you, so don't feel completely alone." The old woman then left to see to other people.

Kiara took some time to think about what she was going to do, but found no helpful answer. Then, she drifted to sleep, to rest her exhausted body...

Later, in the evening, Kiara awoke to the noise of bells ringing. The sky was dark and the street lamps illuminated the town. Hundreds of people were walking past her in a slow hurry. She could hear the voice of a man calling out.

"C'MON EVERYBODY! GET YOURSELVES ON A BOAT! THEY'RE ALL HEADING FOR THE MIST CONTINENT! C'MON! THERE'S ROOM FOR EVERYONE!"

Kiara summoned her strength and climbed to her feet and went with the herd of people towards the docks. She could hear nearby refugees muttering amongst themselves and the deafening noise of the ships horns. The teenager was shoved around by the stampeding crowd. Desperate men pushed passed her and almost knocked her to the ground. She knew she had to stay on her feet; otherwise, she would be trampled to death. Kiara fought her way through the crowd and could see people rapidly boarding the ships. Some setting off with people almost hanging over the edges of the decks.

After a few minutes of hopeless barging, Kiara noticed a small boat in the corner of her eye. A little steamer with only a small crowd boarding it. She took her chance and used her wavering strength to shove through the herd of violent men and desperate women to get to the steamer. But the contending force of the stampede proved to be a worthy challenge as her power was still depleted. The people surrounding her bulldozed into her shouting obscenities, moving her further away from her goal.

Kiara managed to get a firm grip on a divider that separated the larger ships with the smaller ones. She pulled herself into the low wall and looked ahead. She saw that the last few people were boarding the steamer and they would be disembarking any moment. In desperation, Kiara shoved her shoulder into the oncoming people and winded a man next to her. He looked up at her with anger and hate burning in his eyes. Then, as quick as a flash, he swung his fist at her, which she ducked to avoid. Then Kiara rushed past him but he attempted to grab her tail. However, the ever moving crowd pushed into him and he was swept away like so many others.

Now free of the bulk of the stampeding herd of people, Kiara ran as fast as she could towards the steamer. By now, all the people were on board and they were raising the ramp. She then summoned unknown power and sprinted towards the little steamer, like a bullet. The ramp was about 10 feet off the ground. As soon as she was close enough, Kiara jumped with all her might and lunged forward, managing to grab the end of the ascending ramp. Her grip was weak however, due to water making the platform slippery. There was nothing but water below her now. Kiara's hold on the platform was now down to her fingertips only. She panicked as her grip was lost, but, out of nowhere, the arm of a man grabbed her hand. Then another arm appeared and took hold of her other hand.

"C'mon! Pull her up!" Ordered the voice of a third man.

The two men heaved and lifted Kiara up onto the deck safely. Out of shock, she fell into the arms of one of the crew members.

"Thank you... thank you so much... " She managed to utter.

"It's all right missus. You're safely on board and there's enough room for you." He reassured her.

After a few seconds, Kiara calmed down and stood on her own two feet. She then took a moment to catch her breath.

"The other passengers are further down that way. We haven't got any cabins for anyone, so you'll just have to find a spot you like and do what you can to relax." He added.

Kiara nodded in gratitude and walked across the deck, holding onto the railing. She walked past other people who were either looking out at the island, asleep or looking up at her as she walked by. After a couple of minutes, Kiara found a spot at the foot of a large crate. She slowly lowered herself and sat down, resting against the metal crate. The cold steel was a sensation against her hot and worked up face. She gave little concern about hygiene and cleanliness. Kiara curled up to keep warm and closed her eyes.

She heard the captain giving out commands to the crew and the murmurs of the other passengers. She could feel the vibrations of the engine below deck and it was obvious that the ship was slowly turning out to see. Kiara opened her eyes and took one last look at her island home. She had never known anything but that island. She spent her whole life there in peace. Then, in the blink of an eye she found herself on a small ship, taking her to the mainland. She had no idea what to expect, knowing that a war was going on.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she reminisced her life in Merridor with her family, her friends, and even her training with Amarant. She moaned quietly as she wiped the tear away, afraid of what this new, disturbing life will have in store for her. Then, she gently closed her eyes once more as she sank into a dark, haunted sleep...

Hours passed, and Kiara experienced a series of nightmares. They depicted memories of what happened over the past four months. The death of her parents and finding Amarant's corpse. When it all subsided, Kiara heard a familiar noise. The echoing scream of an anonymous woman that could only be heard in her mind. The noise was so horrible that it forced Kiara awake.

The teenager gasped as she awoke. She looked around and saw that several people were looking at her. Kiara's faced turned crimson in embarrassment and the floor was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. She kept her head down for a little while until she built up the courage to look up, only this time, no one was staring.

Kiara then sat up and looked over the railings of the ship. The sky was pitch black with several stars dotted here and there. The moonlight reflected off the water and glimmered in the ripples of the ocean. There was no land or other ships in sight. They were completely alone out at sea. Kiara began to feel a little uneasy, not putting all her faith in the captain's abilities.

After another long while, Kiara saw land on the horizon. On the far right peninsula were lights.

"Look! It's Lindblum!" cried a passenger, to which everyone reacted with joy.

Lindblum? The real Lindblum? Kiara never thought she would ever see the legendary regency. Sure only the lights were visible, but it was still Lindblum. Her jaw dropped as she gazed upon the city with one of the longest lines of history ever. For a young girl from a back water village, it was surely a sight to see.

But, something else caught Kiara's attention. In the corner of her eye, out at sea, she saw something. No one else seemed to have spotted it as they were all looking towards Lindblum. It was faint, but it was a sign of some kind of activity.

Lights. Kiara saw lights out as sea, far away. They seemed to be shining from over the horizon. Distant lights that illuminated the sky a little. The cheering of the other passengers seemed to fade out as Kiara stood up and walked slowly towards the edge of the ship. She leaned over the railings, intrigued by this sight. Was it another ship? No, the ship itself would be visible.

As the teenager concentrated on the lights, she realised that they were much closer that she originally thought. The lights were emerging from below the surface of the sea. She made out a glow beneath the waves where the lights were coming from. And it seemed to be moving towards the steamer.

Kiara's heart rate started to increase and she became a little nervous. She felt that she should inform the crew about this phenomenon that everyone else has overlooked, but she just couldn't look away. Now it was clear that the glow was moving closer by the second, it didn't look very fast, but it was moving quicker than anyone would guess. Then, a young man spotted Kiara looking out to sea. He looked out to where she was staring and spotted the lights that were being emitted from the sea.

"Hey! Look! Out there! There's something under the water!" he yelled.

This caught everyone's attention and all the passengers and crew members mimicked what Kiara was doing. She could hear commotion among the crowd, questioning what the glow could be.

As it got closer, it appeared as though something was creating the glow. Like it was something underwater that was lighting its way. Something huge. The glow grew in size in a matter of minutes and bow waves appeared at either side, giving the impression that something was swimming towards them. There were four symmetrical bright spots within the glow, like they were the source of the light. Like enormous torches that seemed like the eyes of a terrible beast. Making any judgments of what it was were futile, as the source of the light was invisible, shielded by the bright glow.

People suddenly began screaming as the aquatic giant showed no signs of halting and it was only a few yards away from the steamer. The passengers and crew backed away from the edge but Kiara didn't move.

"It's gonna hit!" shouted a crew member.

His predictions soon came to pass. With a loud bang, whatever was under the water rammed the steamer with an incredible force. The boat tilted to one side and almost flipped over completely. The force of the impact lifted Kiara off her feet and threw her back into the wall, on which she banged her head. Everyone on board was shouting and screaming in fear whilst the crew members tried to gain control of the situation.

The steamer rocked from side to side which, in turn, brought water on board. Kiara managed to stand up, but wrapped her arms around a post to stay up right. The back of her head was throbbing and she was slightly winded. She didn't have long to regain her composure, however, as the unknown terror beneath the waves struck again, this time from the other side of the steamer. People were thrown all over the boat, and some jumped off to try and make it to land by themselves.

Frightened and disorientated, Kiara clung onto the post as tight as she could; hoping that what she was experiencing was just another nightmare. But she was wide awake and what was happening was reality. She opened her eyes and wiped them clean of water and saw the glow at the rear of the ship. She watched in horror and tightened her grip on the post, fearing that it would hit again.

But it didn't.

Instead, it began flashing rapidly. And then, in an instant, the water exploded and a burning ray of heat emerged from the waves and struck the steamer, melting the cooling tower like it was warm butter. The water that the heat ray came from became steam due to the incredibly high temperature, and then evaporated.

Enormous drops of molten steel fell from where the cooling tower was and melted other parts of the steamer and even sent unknowing civilians to a burning doom. Kiara was lucky and was not in the path of any of the liquid steel drops. The heat turned the surrounding sea water into a steam that was so hot it melted the skin clean off people's faces. The air was filled with the immeasurably hot steam and the despairing sounds of agonising deaths.

Kiara looked back at the glow in the water. Suddenly it began getting brighter and brighter until a huge wave swallowed up the sinking steamer and the swimming juggernaut emerged from the freezing cold sea. However, Kiara was blinded by the water and the intense brightness of the glowing lights and whatever it was that was attacking them remained a mystery to her.

Realising that the ship would sink any second, Kiara lost all rational thought and leaped into the ocean, screaming as loud as she could. The sinking ships pressure was so intense that it was pulling her down with it. In desperation to get to the surface, Kiara kicked as hard as she could, waved her arms violently and even used her tail as a propeller to escape the steamers imaginary tractor beam. She used all the strength she had in her bones to fight the water until eventually she broke free of the ships pull and began shooting towards the surface. As she ascended she looked back and got a blurry, unclear glimpse of the enormous titan that obliterated the little steamer, its crew and the other passengers.

Kiara broke the surface of the water and took a huge gulp of air to calm her burning lungs. She treaded water for a few moments while she screamed out loud after experiencing a tragic event that took the lives of many. She soon exhausted herself, however, and her body became limp again. As a result, she began drifting. With what little strength she had, she used to climb onto a part of floating shrapnel from the steamer to keep her afloat.

Kiara rested against the metal and just flowed with the tide. She felt empty and powerless. The water had now grown calm and almost still. She could hear tiny splashes of water as the hunk of floating metal bobbed up and down. She began to rest her eyes and recover from her trauma. The relaxing sound of distant waves lulled her to sleep once again.

Her slumber, however, was cut short as a noise woke her up. This noise was different though. It was deep, yet almost soothing. Kiara slowly lifted her head and looked around her. The noise sounded again, but it was followed by the sound of something emerging from beneath the water's surface. The teenager looked towards the disturbance in the ocean and saw a large fluke arc out and then back under the water. It then fell silent again until, from behind her, a heavy breathing noise was heard. She quickly turned to have a look.

It was a whale.

Its air hole was poking out from the still water. The giant mammal then rolled over and opened its eye to look at her. Kiara looked back at the whale and felt a slight feeling of comfort from the creature. Then, the whale disappeared below the water once more.

Kiara lay down and closed her eyes, in the unusual state of calmness that the whale was company of some sort, and she once again fell asleep...

However, her sleep was once again interrupted as the floating metal started to hit against something that woke Kiara up. It was still night time. She got up, looked round and saw that she had hit land. She had arrived at the Mist Continent. There were mountains in the distance and there was woodland not far way. The banks around the beach formed a gap between them that appeared as a narrow passage way. Kiara looked back at the empty sea before building her courage and proceeding to go further in land.

The teenage girl continued through the gully and she noticed that it began to widen as she went on. She picked up her pace slightly as she entered woodland on the upward slope of a hill. Kiara carried on until she entered an open area, and she stopped. In the air was an unusual smell. The odour of smoke. She walked round a bend and saw a burnt out camp fire with a thin line of smoke still rising, indicating that it was very recently put out.

Kiara stood defensively looking all round her vicinity. She backed away slowly. The girl listened intently, not making a sound. Suddenly she heard a twig snap. As she tightened her fist, three men jumped out from the bushes in front of her. More appeared from the shrubs behind her, each one armed with daggers.

"Hey, hey! Look what we have here, boys." Said one of them.

"We don't get many women round here. 'Specially none as pretty as this one." Said another.

"She looks young. I bet she's never been touched yet." A third abounded.

Kiara gulped. "I-I'm only passing through. I don't want any trouble." She stammered.

"Well you got trouble, girlie. Now give us all your money. Now!" the first man ordered.

"I don't have any money! I haven't got anything!" she snapped back.

The men began to circle her, tauntingly, giggling sinisterly amongst themselves. "You kiddin' girl?" said one of them.

Kiara looked puzzled. The men began eyeing her up and down, licking their filthy lips. "That's where you're wrong, little missy, hehehe. You got a lot." He laughed.

"Yeah, you got lots to give guys like us."

Suddenly, one of the men grabbed her and tried to pull her clothes off. She reacted immediately by spinning round and launching her foot into his face, knocking him to the ground.

"WHOA! Man! This bitch has got some fight in her!"

"Mmmmm. I like that."

Then, all of the men lunged for her. But she crouched down and spun in a circle, sticking her leg out, tripping them all up. Kiara regained her composure and leaped over them. One of the men stood up and tried to knife her, which she caught. She then twisted his hand and broke it before swinging him round and throwing him into one of his allies.

"Get her boys!" yelled the first man, who seemed to be the leader.

They all charged at her but she fought them off with the skills she learnt from Amarant. Her movements were swift and her blows were powerful. Their struggle lead deeper into the woodland. The men came at her with their daggers, but Kiara was too much for them.

Three of the men broke off from the main battle.

"You three! Go round there and flank her!" the leader ordered.

The men agreed and headed round a collection of trees and bushes. The leader then ran towards Kiara and slashed her arm with his knife. She flinched and yelped. The men took this as their chance and began to turn the tide against her. They began to overpower Kiara until they threw her to the ground and pinned her arms and legs down. She struggled helplessly to try and get free, but she was stilled when the leader sat on top of her and held his knife to her throat.

"Not so tough now are you!" he laughed. "Now. You are gonna lie there, and do whatever we tell you. Otherwise, we'll kill ya."

Kiara spat in his face. The man calmly wiped it away before her spat on her as well.

"Now you lie the hell still and take whatever I give you." He said and he began to pick the buttons from her leather armour, Kiara helpless to stop him.

Meanwhile, the three men who are heading round the trees were nearing their goal. But suddenly, they stopped when they saw something up in the trees.

"N-No... H-Have mercy! NOOOOOOO!" the cried, before a bright light engulfed them and they were vaporised by a magic attack. This caught the attention of the others, who let go of Kiara after hearing their comrades death cries.

"What the heck was that!"

They all crept closer to where the flash came from. Suddenly, Kiara looked up and saw a red light in the trees. Then, a bolt of energy was fired and struck down another one of the men. As quick as a flash, Kiara ducked behind some nearby rocks and hid. She could hear the sound of something invisible killing her assailants. Their screams of agony filled the air. Even for Kiara, it was a nearly unbearable noise, but there was nothing she could do to help them, even if she wanted to.

The leader attempted to escape the carnage, but the hunter appeared before him, almost like it teleported. Kiara peered over the rocks and saw what had murdered the men faster than she could ever comprehend.

Standing before the leader of the gang stood a man in black armour. No weapons, no shield, no equipment and no markings, indicating that it was not aligned with any army. The night sky made it difficult to make out in detail, but in the centre of its head glowed a mysterious, emotionless red light, what appeared to be an eye of some sorts. The figure loomed over the gang leader, not moving or even twitching.

"Please... please... let me go. I-I mean you no harm! I swear it! I know I can't hurt you. I'm no match for you! I'm not like those others!" he pleaded desperately. However, the black figure seemed to ignore him completely as it drew a razor sharp blade from its wrist and impaled the man's throat, killing him instantly.

Kiara watched in fear as it lifted him up in silence and tossed him to one side, like a used doll. The figure in black began to look around the vicinity. Kiara quickly ducked behind the rock, out of sight. Sweat poured down her face and she trembled in terror, hoping to whatever force would listen that the mysterious figure would not find her.

She then began to hear footsteps. Heavy, clunking footsteps of the figures armour. Her heart was racing and she even began to get nervous that it might hear her heart beat. The footsteps stopped. Slowly Kiara looked up over the rocks and saw the figure in black with its back to her. Then, without making a noise and never taking her eyes off the figure, she moved away and took cover behind a bush. She used her hand to cover her mouth and muffle her breathing. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the figure folded its arms and began to levitate. Kiara watched as it rose into the sky, and soon after, disappeared into thin air.

Kiara fell back and lay against a tree. Wasting no time, she shut her eyes, clamed herself down and continued with her slumber. But as she rested her eyes, she thought to herself and considered everything that happened that day.

The mysterious underwater horror and the figure in black armour... Perhaps Red Star and Dark Saga weren't the _only_ things that were plaguing Gaia...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It was a few hours past mid night over the King Ed Plaines of the Mist Continent. Tension was in the air as airships roamed the skies, most of which bore the Red Star emblem. North Gate and South Gate had been out of commission for years since steam power took hold. With the mist all but gone, mist engines were now obsolete, even though mist still exists in certain parts of the world. Everything now ran off steam.

The surface of the continent had changed. Forests were burned; including Chocobo's Forest, making Chocobo's much rarer than they used to be. New monuments of Red Star and Dark Saga had been erected. But, a few miles away from Gizamaluke's Grotto stood a fortress that was still under construction. The building site surrounding it was vast and even the fortress itself was huge. Only the frame had been completed as of yet, enormous girders of solid steel that towered almost as high as the cliffs on the edges of the valley.

Within the building site were different sections separated by large fences of barbed wire. There were many small, metal buildings clustered together as well as small huts where slaves were kept. Mostly young adults, mid way or nearing the end of their teenage years. All had been black mailed to construct the fortress. Guards patrolled the site grounds with tamed monsters like Fangs, Mu's and Pythons on leaches. Each guard had the Red Star emblem on their shoulder plates. Tall towers looked over the area with large search lights.

The patrols covered the perimeter of the fences that held the slaves. The creatures that were held on leaches watched with lustful eyes, searching for any kind of disturbance. One guard walked round the south eastern section, but something darted quickly between the slave huts on the other side of the fence. The guard had missed this completely, one minute it was in the open, the next it took cover.

A search light scanned over the area, but saw nothing. Another search light was close by. The figure had reached the end of the huts and was around 35 yards away from the fence. It edged the side of one of the huts and looked round the corner.

It was a young boy. A slave who was out of his hut after work hours. He seemed around 18 years of age and was a reasonable height; he had short, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wore dirty clothes, a black shirt, a brown, leather, sleeveless jacket, dark blue jeans and black boots. He poked his head slowly round the edge of the hut to get a clear look at the open area. He remained perfectly still as he watched the guard walk further and further away down the other end of the section. The boy was readying his next move, but suddenly, one of the search lights passed over and he quickly ducked behind cover. He waited for the light to pass before he emerged again and carefully looked round and checked the search towers.

When he was sure the coast was clear, he kept low and moved out and quickly took cover behind a small wooden shed, surrounded by large troughs with shower heads above them. He peeked round again before diving onto the ground and crawling on his belly and stopping behind a mound of sand. His eyes appeared above the sand pile as he searched the area again. He ducked back down when the search light passed over once more. He could hear the distant clanking of the guards armour in the distance and the creaking of the search towers, but all else was silent.

Then, as fast as he could, the slave boy ran out into the open, sprinted across the opening as quickly and as quietly possible and reached the fence and shielded himself behind the stone post out of sight. He waited for a few seconds before peering out to see if he had been spotted.

Luckily, he hadn't.

The boy crouched down and picked up a couple of large stones with sharpened edges that must have been done before hand. He then knelt down and the foot of the fence and used the stones to dig the soil away. He kept looking up every few seconds to check the perimeter, then looking back down at his work.

Then, across the section on the other side of the fence, the guards Mu noticed the movement that the boy was making. It made a noise to signal its master that it had seen something, and thus, the guard turned round, created a small flame in his hand, and shone it over at where the Mu signalled him. But there was nothing there. He watched closely for about 10 seconds before extinguishing the flame and carrying on with his rounds.

Soon after, the slave boy appeared from behind the stone post and continued to dig. He was breathing heavily and had to wipe the sweat from his head. He still raised his head every so often to check the guard and the search lights. Eventually, he dug a hole big enough for him to fit through. With that he put the stones to one side and crawled underneath the fence. He had to struggle a little, but he managed to get through and ran over to a nearby boulder and took cover. He looked around before waving his hand in the air.

Back at the huts, another 4 slaves appeared. One was a short fat boy about 16 years old with long, greasy, curly ginger hair, a long face with freckles, big lips and two buck teeth, one noticeably longer than the other. The second was a midget with a rough look on his face and spiky hair. Another was an anthropomorphic hippo with a black tuff of hair on his head. The fourth slave was a young Qu. They all made sure the coast was clear before repeating the first boys path to the edge of the section they were in.

The ginger boy lead, then the hippo, then the midget, then the Qu. When they all reached the fence, they ran straight into it, causing it to rattle quite loudly. The boy on the other side of the fence signalled them to keep quiet. Seeing this, the ginger boy turned to the other three.

"Shush(!)" he whispered loudly, with a finger over his lips.

The first boy looked round and signalled them to say it was safe to go under the fence. The ginger boy crouched down while the others kept a look out. The large boy poked his head out the other side of the fence and crawled as quickly as he could. But, due to his sheer size, the gap was not big enough for him to fit through and he became wedged in the hole. He wriggled around, desperate to get through, but it only made his situation worse. He began to flail widely.

"I'm stuck(!)" he loudly whispered again.

The first boy on the other side of the, palmed his forehead and the ran over to help him. He grabbed the ginger boys' arms and hushed him to keep quiet. The first boy tried to pull him through and the midget, the hippo and the Qu pushed him from the other side of the fence. They murmured to themselves quietly as they struggled to help their overweight friend.

Suddenly, the first boy saw that the guard was coming back round on his patrol.

"Stop(!) Pull him back(!) Pull him back(!)" he quietly commanded, pointing at the returning guard.

After they all saw the guard, the three on the inside of the fence tugged with all their might to get their friend back through. The first boy pushed as hard as he could against the ginger boys head.

"GEEZ(!)" pouted the ginger boy, quietly.

Suddenly, the large ginger boy was freed and the three on the inside of the fence flew backwards and he landed on top of them. Realising that it was too late for him to escape on his own, the first boy crawled back through the hole, covered it up quickly and ran for cover, with the other four, behind the sand pile. The five of them stayed low and watched as the guard went past. They all fell completely silent.

Suddenly, a large bug flew by and landed near the sand pile. The Qu saw the insect and viewed it as food. Its eyes widened and it licked its lips before it began to move towards the bug.

"Quill(!) No(!) Get back here(!)" the hippo called quietly, but his voice fell on deaf ears as the Qu dived for the bug. But as soon as the tongued creature got close it flew away. The four boys grabbed their friend and pull him/her back behind the sand pile.

"Who's there!" called the guard.

The five friends were stabbed with knives of fear. They had been caught.

"I know you're out there! You can't hide!"

They all watched as the guard unlocked the nearby gate and entered the pen, locking the gate behind him so that they couldn't get out.

"What do we do now (!)" asked the midget in a panic.

"Back to the hut. Quietly(!)" the first boy whispered. With that, they all turned round and headed back to the huts. Watching the guard with each step, they rushed back to the huts and took cover once they got there. Then, they ventured deeper into the cluster and made for their own hut. The five of them leaped inside and shut the door behind them. The guard appeared at the end of the line of huts, shining his flame to light the way.

"Who is it! Show yourself!" he commanded. The guard continued down the yard on a wild goose chase. The five boys listened against the door of their hut and heard him walk past. Then they all took a sigh of relief.

"He's gone." Said the hippo.

"We sure were lucky to get out of that one." The midget added. "It would have all gone perfect if you were such a fat git, Murphy!" he said again pointing at the large ginger boy.

"Hey, hey! Don't start blaming me, you little stump! I could have fit through there, I just didn't breath in enough!" he retaliated. "If anything, it was Quill's fault for putting his appetite first!"

"Me no can help it! You know what me like with food!" said Quill.

"Guys, be quiet! They might hear us!" said the hippo.

"Shut your fat mouth, Hippete! You didn't even do anything!" stated Murphy.

The four of them squabbled for a few minutes before the first boy stopped them.

"Shut it! All of you!" he said in a dominant voice. They all fell silent. "The plan failed, but no one is to blame. We were just unlucky, that's all. It was my plan, and it wasn't brilliant. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine."

No one said a word.

"No one got anything to say?... No?... That's what I thought. We'll get some shut eye tonight and we'll think of a new plan tomorrow." He concluded.

"Oh, c'mon, Orbison! We've come up with about 50 plans and they all failed. We ain't ever getting outta here!" said the midget.

"A lot of people here think like that, Lloyd. That's why no one has ever busted out of here. You wanna stay here for the rest of your life? 'Cos when the fortress is built they'll probably kill us all." Said Orbison.

The hut fell quiet once again.

"One of these days, we'll get out of this hell hole, and we're gonna see the end of this war. I never lost hope in the three great nations. I'm confident that someone will come along and whoop Red Star's and Dark Saga's asses!" he continued.

"You're right. We shouldn't give up as long as we live!" said Hippete.

"Me never give up. Some day, I grow up to be great gourmand. Just like Quina Quen!" Quill stated.

"That's the spirit! Nothing can stop guys like us! We've got something to live for. We all have our own goals. But we have to work together to make our dreams reality. Hippete?" asked Orbison.

"I'm with ya!" he said.

"Quill?" Orbison asked.

"Yay! We make them go boom!" s/he agreed.

"Lloyd?"

"You can count on me, being small can be a great advantage!"

"Murphy?"

"Yeah, whatever, let's just get some sleep, I'm screwed!" with that Murphy's head hit his pillow and he went to sleep.

"Amen to that. C'mon guys, we'll need as much rest as we can get." Said Orbison. Then they turned the light off and went to sleep.

The next morning, in the woodland a few miles away from the building site, Kiara woke up from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes and allowed them to adjust to the sun that shone through the leaves of the woods. The girl stood up and saw the corpses of the gang that attempted to rape her the night before. As she remembered what happened, she shivered nervously before heading up through the trees.

The path ahead only went up hill. It wasn't long before Kiara reached the top and arrived at the edge of a cliff. Expecting sun shine, Kiara was shock to see that dark clouds loomed in the sky and black airships with red stars on them were roaming the airspace. With a gasp, Kiara took cover as a precaution. The beating of the propellers sent sound waves that caused Kiara's eardrums to tremble. After observing the sky, she looked down and saw an even more disturbing view.

A building site with noises of banging metal being made. It was quite a distance away, but Kiara people moving around. Carefully, Kiara began to make her way down the hill, towards the construction site.

Guards around the perimeter of the area kept close eyes on the slaves as they worked. If even one got out of line, the entire group that slave was in would be punished.

By now, Kiara had reached the bottom of the hill and was a few yards away from the fence. She heard harsh orders from the guards and the sound of clanking metal. She quietly crept closer, making sure she was not detected. The teenager looked through the gaps between the wires to see what was happening.

Within the giant enclosure Kiara saw hundreds of young people, her own age, who seemed to be building something, something huge. It was only a metal frame as of yet, but it reached so high that Kiara almost pulled a neck muscle looking up at it. She also saw men in armour wandering the grounds, carrying whips and similar equipment. They also seemed to be shouting at the slaves, giving harsh commands. The teenager made her way round a few bushes to get a closer look.

She watched the activity on the other side of the fence from afar. There were piles of sand, dirt and steel dotted around the place. The fence seemed to stretch for miles, giving a hint of how big the site actually was. There were lines of slaves picking up equipment and passing it up to other slaves that were standing on the scaffolding, working on the higher parts of the unfinished building. The men in armour, who were obviously guards, observed them and slashed whoever got out of line or was too slow with their whips. Kiara also saw large clusters of small huts that were quite far away, but still within the confines of the fence. The ground within and around the site had been dug up and ruined. This scene ached Kiara's heart, to see so many suffering and being made to work.

She could hear the shouting of the guards and the despairing sounds of agony from the slaves echoing across the plains and deflecting of the Aerb Mountains. The teenager had no other goal in her mind at present, thus, she concurred that she must help them, even if it was a futile mission. Kiara couldn't bare to see or hear the sorrow any longer. As quick as a flash, she jumped out of her hiding place and headed for the tall, secure and daunting fence. She was tense and shaking with nerves, but she had to do something, it was only right. Wasn't it?

When she reached the enclosure, she stopped and gazed through the wires at the agonising sight of what looked like a concentration camp. With motivation, she took a few steps back, preparing for a run up. Kiara braced herself and ran at the fence before jumping as high as she could. Her legs propelled her like a rocket from the ground, sending her soaring into the air. Even she was taken back at how high she could jump; it was something that she never concerned herself with. To her amazement, she over shot the high of the fence, not even grazing herself on the razor sharp edges of the barbed wire that was coiled all round the top of the enclosure.

After she landed, Kiara took a minute to regain her composure, but was still taken back by her own ability. She soon focused back on her whereabouts and hurried towards the work area.

"Hey! Over here!" she yelled. Everyone looked in her direction. "Stop this right now! Let these people go, or I'll have to make you!"

After a short pause, all the nearby guards started to laugh. "Nice one kid! But you've got some nerve! Get in line right now! You'll do fine as an addition!" one of the guards ordered.

"Why don't you come over here and make me?"

"You're in way over your head here kid. Don't make us hurt you more than we already will." Said a second guard.

"Try it!" said Kiara.

"No! Get out of here run while you can!" yelled one of the slaves.

"They'll kill you!" cried another.

Out of rage, the first guard ran at her with his sword and prepared to attack Kiara. However, the teenager skilfully avoided the assault and kicked the sword out of the guard's hand. The armoured soldier flinched which gave Kiara time for a second counter attack. She flung herself towards him and wrapped her arms round his neck and strangled him.

Suddenly, another guard approached the struggle and drew his sword. Kiara saw him coming and swung herself round and threw the first guard at him, toppling them both. Three more men charged at her this time. The teenager darted towards them as quick as a flash, raised her fist and ploughed it through all three of them in a row, sending them plummeting to the ground.

"Grrah! Call for reinforcement!" cried one of the soldiers, to which another fled the scene to do so.

The slaves watched in awe as this girl out of nowhere pummelled their captors. Some even began to cheer her on. The fighting lead further into the construction site as more guards attempted to get the situation under control, but Kiara was too strong for them. The soldiers shouted curses at the teenager and began to fight merely out of rage. Kiara kept her cool and took frequent pauses to stay in control. Guards armed with different kind's weaponry attacked her, such as spears, whips and even wreaking balls.

"Get her now! She's just a kid! How can she be doing this!" questioned one of the soldiers.

Within the mist of the slaves were two boys who watched in silence as most of the others cheered. They hid behind a dirt bank and continued to observe.

"Dude! This girl can fight!" said the first boy. The other simply nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, the cheering stopped as a man wearing red armour arrived on the scene. The guards stopped fighting and stood to attention.

"Stand down! All of you!" he commanded. The soldiers obeyed and formed groups on the side lines.

Kiara stood strong, but a little confused as to what was happening. There were quite murmurs of fear among the slaves, which also made her feel a little uneasy. Sweat started to moisturise her face and her whole body was tense. Then, suddenly, a guard appeared alongside the man in red armour.

"There she is! That's her! She's the one causing all the trouble!" he pouted pointing at her. The man in red took off his helmet to look at Kiara more clearly. He had short blond hair, eerie blue eyes and a pale, menacing face.

"Interesting... This one girl had you all beat?" he said.

"Erm... Y-Yes sir." Said the guard, embarrassed.

Kiara grew impatient. "Who are you?" she asked in a demanding voice.

The man started to walk towards her. "I think the bigger question is: who are _you_? And what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to stop you and your men from hurting these people and forcing them to do your dirty work. It's wrong! Can't you see that!" she responded, powerfully.

"What we do here is none of your business. So why don't you go along your way before things get messy." the man in red warned.

"You don't scare me! I don't want to fight you but I will if I have to."

"How foolish... I gave you your chance to escape. But now, your fate is sealed." He said coldly as he readied himself for battle.

Kiara did the same, confidently. The soldiers and slaves watched in silence. The two slaves that were hiding in the dirt bank were just as quiet as the rest.

Suddenly, the man drew a crescent shaped sword and tried to slash Kiara, who in turn, evaded it with a back flip, but the man dash forward and struck her with his elbow. Kiara fell to the ground but quickly recovered and blocked another assault by the mystery man. Then, the teenager gripped his arm, lifted herself off the dirt and gave him a volley of kicks to the stomach. Each one did significant harm to him until she finished with using both legs at once, knocking him down. The guards gasped at the flaw of their commander.

"Sir Carlos!" cried one of them.

Carlos looked up at the soldier with a piercing glare. The guard covered his mouth with bulging eyes, realising what he said. Carlos stood up and relaxed himself.

"Now that she knows my name... I'll have to kill her!" he declared.

With that, he used a spell to make a wrecking ball appear in his hand. It was similar to his sword in colour. Kiara gulped slightly now that her foe was now wielding two weapons. As quick as a flash, Carlos swung the wrecking ball round at Kiara, but she ducked to evade it but was surprised with his sword was heading straight for her.

Kiara caught it by slapping her hand together and holding onto it as tight as she could. Carlos struggled to free his blade whilst attempting to distract her by waving his wrecking ball at her head, but each time, she bowed her neck and it missed. The slaves began to encourage her as best they could and the guards chanted for their commander. Suddenly, Kiara used Carlos's arm as a pivot and swung round and kneed him in the head, knocking him down once more. There was a wave of applause from the crowd of slaves.

However, Carlos quickly stood up, swung his sword and launched a wave of energy from the blade. Kiara propelled herself into the air and it passed by underneath her. As she landed, her adversary fired another energy wave at a different angle. The teenager rolled to one side and avoided harm again. But, Carlos charged at her with both his sword and wrecking ball. She did her best to dodge his attacks, but his sword struck a blow and cut her shoulder. When she flinched, he grabbed her by her hair and kicked her stomach and flawed her.

"Ugh! Not bad for a child. Your more powerful than I gave you credit for. I haven't fought a battle this exhilarating for such a long time." Said Carlos.

"I'm not finished yet!" Kiara answered whilst climbing to her feet. "I won't let you beat me!"

"Persistent little pest! You've no idea what you're up against!"

Carlos assaulted Kiara once again and the two became locked in a melee mash. Kiara landed a few blows to Carlos's chest and he retaliated with his sword, slashing Kiara's leg and another counter with his wrecking ball which Kiara countered by crouching down and upper cutting him in the chin.

As the two fought, the two slaves in the dirt bank talked amongst themselves about these new events. Other slaves cheered Kiara on whilst other observed in silence. The guards did not interfere as they understood that it was their commander's fight. Their battle raged on until Kiara leaped back and launched herself from the ground at a neck breaking speed and head butted Carlos in the chest, cracking his armour. The warrior screamed out in pain as he was once again forced to the ground, this time, injured. He managed to sit up and see Kiara regain her stance and look over him victoriously.

"Sir Carlos!" cried many of the guards.

The slaves encouraged Kiara further.

"Ugh... Inform Lord Zaulthook!" he commanded. One of the soldiers saluted him and fled the scene.

His voice was too quiet for anyone to hear however. Carlos managed to rise to his feet and face Kiara who clenched her fists.

"How can someone as young as you be so powerful. Nothing like this has been recorded since... since..." he babbled.

"Shut up! You can't fight with an injury like that! Now let these people go!" Kiara ordered violently.

"You think it's as simple as that? You think I'm just going to give up? When I'm injured, my strength doubles. I can't let someone like you live!"

Kiara ran towards him on the offence. Carlos just stood motionless with an evil grin playing on his thin lips. When the teenager was close enough the red armoured fighter swung his wrecking ball at her with tremendous force and speed. Kiara leaped to one side to avoid it, but was given no time for a stance recovery. Carlos sped towards her and brought the wrecking ball crashing down on her. With a gasp followed by quick reflexes, she back flipped to avoid him again and was inches away from the weapon that embedded itself in the slippery wet mud. With a tug at the chain, Carlos released the wrecking ball from the sludge and began swinging it over his head, forcing Kiara to keep her distance from him.

Meanwhile, at the command tower of the building site, the guard from the battle field rushed through the corridors and into the highest room that overlooked the site. In the room stood a tall man, his appearance hidden by the suns bright glare.

"Lord Zaulthook! Lord Zaulthook!" cried the soldier. "My lord! We have an emergency! There is an intruder in the compound and she has engaged Commander Carlos in battle, she seems to have the upper hand! We need to alert the rest of our forces!"

The shadowed figure said nothing. He didn't even move. The guard began to get concerned.

"Uh... My lord?"

"Yes, I heard you."

"Oh, m-my apologies, my lord. Are you going to send in the bulk of the guard?"

"For one intruder? That won't be necessary. I've been watching the battle from up here. Carlos is so loopy, he believes that no one can defeat him. I'll go down there myself." The figure said, clenching his hands into fists.

"(Gasp) B-But, m-my lord. You have never left this tower since construction began!"

"Do you have a problem with my decision?"

"N-No, your honour! None at all! I was just..."

"Keep your tongue behind your teeth in future. Now then. Let's go and meet our guest, shall we?"

Back at the battle scene, Carlos laughed with a cold, emotionless glare. He slowly moved towards her with gentle yet spine shivering steps. The swinging of the wrecking ball was creating a breeze that flowed through Kiara's fine, blonde hair. She continued to back up, waiting for a chance to strike. Then, in the blink of an eye, Carlos launched the wrecking ball at her. She ducked quickly and the weapon broke straight through a wooden pillar with great ease, displaying its offensive power. While Kiara was down, Carlos again swung the ball down, but she rolled out the way. Kiara knew that if she was hit once by this destructive tool, just once, It could indeed end the battle in his favour right there and then.

Then, Carlos spun round and wrapped the chain around his shoulder, then released it and fired it at Kiara again. This time, it wrapped around her neck and the wrecking ball smashed into another wooden pillar. Carlos pulled the chain tightly and the metal lead began to choke her. Kiara's wind pipe was tightened to the point where she could hardly breathe, the height of which the chain was at lifted her feet from the ground. Her fingers hopelessly tried to release the chain from her neck, but it was too tight for Kiara to get a grip of it. Carlos gave a half smile as he strangled his victim mercilessly. The soldiers were chanting for her death while the slaves begged him to free her.

"You see? You cannot defeat me! I've killed men twice your age and they haven't put up as nearly a good fight of you. I commend you for that. But now... You're mine." He said sinisterly.

Kiara could slowly feel her life force draining. Her tail was shaking wildly and she could think of no way to get free. But then, as if out of nowhere, Kiara procured a huge upsurge in energy, the magnitude of which was so great, even Kiara herself was surprised. There was a bright light in her eyes and she started to scream as loud as she could. Carlos was caught off guard.

"What in the name of-!"

Before he could complete his sentence, Kiara's buffed up, shattering the chain around her neck, and launched herself at her enemy. She struck with tremendous force and speed, Carlos's armour was smashed into shards and he went skidding across the mud. However, something strange happened.

Rather hearing the sounds of cheer from the slaves, it was deathly quiet. Kiara looked around and saw the staring in Carlos's direction in fear. Her eyes shifted towards and the young warrior saw that they were not looking at Carlos.

The commander was lying at the feet of another man, wearing orange and black armour that covered everything save his head. He was an older man with a few wrinkles on his face, a large, white moustache and he was partially bald. His lips were hidden behind his facial hair and he stood perfectly upright with his hands behind his back, looking down at Carlos. The defeated warrior climbed, painfully, to his feet and stood before this figure that even menaced Carlos himself.

"M-My lord!" Carlos stammered, dropping back down on one knee.

The older man grinned. "You seem to be having a bit of trouble here, Carlos. Care to elaborate?" he spoke with a purring, seductive baritone voice with an impeccable English accent.

Carlos paused for a few seconds.

"A-An intruder has penetrated the outer fence and carried out an assault on the guard platoon and myself, sir!"

The whole battlefield was in dead silence in the mere presence of this aging figure who, by himself, brought an eerie atmosphere to the area. The slaves were motionless and silent, despite this perfect chance to escape. Even the two slaves hiding in the dirt bank made no attempt to flee.

The old man's eyes looked around like a silent predator seeking its prey.

"Would you care to point this intruder out to me?" he asked, calmly.

Carlos turned around and pointed at Kiara, who stood strong, gazing at her new foe.

"That's her!" said Carlos.

The old man's eyes locked onto the young teenager. He stared at her for a few moments before speaking once again.

"You mean that this child has broken into the site completely undetected, and defeated an entire guard unit and yourself, my most trusted soldier, all by herself?"

"... Y-Yes, my lord..." answered Carlos, slightly embarrassed.

The old man began to chuckle quietly. His chuckle grew louder. Seeing this, Carlos began to chuckle with him. He looked round at the guards, signalling them to join in, which they did.

After a while, the old man's chuckling sank into a growl of rage. Everyone suddenly stopped as the old man clenched his fists.

"Carlos! You and your men fell in disgrace if you were beaten by one child. One child! After all the battles you have fought through and come out victorious, you were put in your place by a little girl!"

Carlos backed away.

"B-But, my lord! There's something different about this one! She's much stronger that she looks!"

"Save your excuses for after I deal with this pest!" the old man snapped.

Carlos's eyes widened as he gasped. "But, s-sir! You don't mean..."

"I'll have to take care of what you cannot. I'm not so old that I can't deal with one child."

Then, as quick as a flash, the old man jumped into the air, far over everyone's heads. The crowd of guards and slaves watched in awe at this spectacle.

Kiara took a step back out of astonishment. How can an elderly man leap so high? Then, with a shallow thud, he landed a few paces in front of her, still in his upright posture and showing no signs of fatigue. He gazed down at Kiara like a scientist looking through a microscope.

"Grr! Who are you!" Kiara demanded. "Are you the one running this show? The one who's holding these people prisoner!"

The old man chuckled. "That's me. Who might you be?" he asked, politely.

Suddenly, Kiara saw something on the man's chest plate. Just the very sight of this image was enough to send shivers down her spin for she had seen this mark before, and it was all too familiar. It was a star, coloured red.

"You! You're one of them!" she said, pointing at the emblem.

"Ah. You know this mark. Well, I'd be more surprised if you didn't." He answered coldly.

"Who are you!" Kiara repeated.

"My name is Zaulthook. I am an agent of Red Star."

Kiara paused as she took a few steps back. There she was, face to face with one of the warriors who she had been convinced were unbeatable. The very word 'agent' made her heart shiver whenever it was spoken.

"You... You're an agent?" she asked meekly.

Zaulthook grinned. "Indeed. I do commend you for getting this far, young one. But as your expressions suggest, you know of an agents potential in combat."

Kiara lowered her guard and her muscles swelled down. The agents proved to be too much for Amarant, a hero of the world, to handle. So what chance did _she_ have?

Then, she shook her head and regained her composure.

"No! I won't let you scare me! Even if you are an agent, my mentor would be disappointed if I backed down!" she yelled.

"Ah! A spirited one for so young. A rare sight indeed. So you wish to fight? Very well, I accept your challenge. These old bones need a work out once in a while. I will do my absolute best to try and keep up." He said, patronising her.

The two slaves hiding behind the dirt back watched with anxious eyes.

"She's gonna fight Zaulthook! She's either really strong, or really stupid!" said the first slave.

"Yeah, but... What if she wins?" the second pondered.

"As much as I'd like her to, she won't."

"Yeah, but what if she does!"

Suddenly, Kiara charged at Zaulthook on the offence.

"She's fast!" the agent said to himself.

The teenager leaped up and kicked her foe in the face. And again. The second blow knocked him back, much to everyone's surprise. Not giving him time to recover, Kiara darted towards him. But, Zaulthook's keen eye spotted her and he counted by sticking his arm out and attempting to grab her. She avoided him and wrapped her tail round his wrist and used it as a pivot to launch herself at him. But, as quick as a flash, he stuck his other arm out and struck Kiara down. However, she quickly recovered and countered with an elbow to the face.

Kiara back flipped back into her stance where as the agent landed on his back, floored by Kiara.

"Impossible!" cried one of the guards.

"It can't be!" yelled another.

There were murmurs among the crowd of guards and slaves as Zaulthook lay motionless on the ground. Kiara used the time to get her breath back from the sheer exhilaration of knocking an agent to the ground.

The two slaves behind the dirt bank continued to view the encounter from afar.

"You're putting up a good fight, kid. But watch out. Any second now, he'll strike back..." said the first slave.

His predictions were correct and Zaulthook began to climb back to his feet. The agent sat up and looked up at his adversary. Then he began to chuckle to himself.

"Good. Very good. Splendid actually. It seems I've underestimated you. It's also clear that my guards, or even Carlos, were no match for your level of skill." The agent then stood up over Kiara again.

"Your words mean nothing. With all the despair you've brought to the world, you're nothing but a monster." Kiara answered, bitterly.

"Hmmm. This mentor of yours... what was his name?" asked Zaulthook.

"His name was Amarant Coral." She responded.

"Yes... That would explain your fighting style. As unique as it is, it resembles his. Hm!" The agent was startled by something he only just noticed Kiara to have. "A horn?... _And_ a tail?... Her strength...So, those old rumours were true..."

"What did you say!" Kiara asked.

"_Zidane Tribal and Queen Garnet's daughter... This is no ordinary foe... It seems she doesn't know her full potential yet, or even who she is... What a golden opportunity!"_ Zaulthook through to himself.

Suddenly, the agent slowly clenched his fist as a glowing blue light surrounded his hand. Then, he rose his arm up and pointed his fingers at her. The crowd watched with amazement at Zaulthook's actions. Kiara found herself unable to do anything at this sight.

"Amarant taught you well... But he didn't teach you everything." Said the agent.

Then, as fast as the speed of light, Zaulthook ran right up to Kiara and struck her in the chest with his glowing hand and thus passed the light onto her. The spell travelled though her nervous system in a matter of moments and her body froze like a statue. Then, after a few seconds, she dropped lifelessly to the ground.

All the slaves gasped in shock and murmured to themselves quietly. The two slaves in the dirt bank were just the same as the others.

"But... But what does this mean?" the second slave wondered.

"It doesn't mean anything. No one can stop Zaulthook." The first answered.

"Get the slaves back to work! Shows over!" Carlos ordered.

With that, the guards lead the slaves back to what they were doing like a herd of cattle. The young people looked back at the fallen Kiara; it was like their only hope was taken away from them.

Carlos approached Zaulthook and stood beside him, looking down at the teenager.

"I'll arrange for her execution." He said.

"No you won't." Zaulthook ordered. "If I wanted her dead, I would have done it myself. She is to be kept alive for now. Lock her in the brig. We'll deal with her in time."

"Yes my lord!" Carlos answered. Then he ordered two guards to carry her off to the brig.

Zaulthook watched them as they took her away. He then began to grin. "Jack-O will be pleased to hear about this..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Kiara's vision was completely blank. All she could see was black, her body was still numb and she had no feeling. She could, however, hear people talking. Their voices were distorted and blurry, but she could make out a word or two that was being spoken. She recognised one of the voices, it was Carlos. The others were anonymous.

She could barley move, every time she tried; pins and needles struck her tenfold. Her memory was also fuzzy; it was like her mind was refusing to face the reason as to why her body was in the state it was. She felt so helpless and alone.

Eventually, her vision slowly started to come back to her in the form a light blur. She painfully opened her eyes that soon began to water, and tried to make out where she was. Still unable to see much, she could tell that she was in a small, metal room. Though there wasn't much light, what little there was reflected off the cold, blue steel that surrounded her. To her right was a solid wall and she seemed to be laying on a bed. Though she could feel bed sheets beneath her, they were thin and the hard metal was causing her back to ache.

Meanwhile, the voices became clearer and could hear that they were coming from her left. Kiara slowly turned her head to see what was happening. It was indeed Carlos who seemed conversing with two guards in the door way of what seemed to lead to the room she was in. There was another metal wall behind them which bore a barded window that sunlight just managed to shine through. Their voices were still somewhat distorted, thus, she still could not figure out what they were saying.

Then, suddenly, one of the guards noticed that she was stirring. Kiara saw him point at her and alert the other two. The second guard and Carlos turned round to witness her opening her eyes, to which the latter walked up to the teenager and strike her, knocking her once again into a deep sleep...

A couple of days passed since Kiara's assault on the site. She herself was kept in the brig and remained under Zaulthook's spell. Security was tighter than before as Red Star now held her hostage.

For the slaves, time went by as it usually did: long hours filled with gruelling schedules and labour whilst being tortured and tormented by the troops. Some slaves ended up dying from too much abuse or from pure exhaustion. No time was given to grieve these unfortunate ones.

In the south eastern section, the workers were given the job of lifting large joists using a pulley. There were many slaves unable to cope with the magnitude of the work, but their pleas were ignored.

In one group of workers, a young boy known by others as Orbison was one of the few who managed to work effectively and avoid as many beatings as the others, although he still received his fair share. He had no authority of any kind over everyone else, but his will was stronger. Thus, many looked up to him as a role model of sorts, despite not knowing her personal life.

"Man...huff-heave... this sure is... taking everything out of me..." said one of the slaves.

"You're not the only one..." said Orbison. "But you've just got to keep going and have hope. There's not much else we can do."

"Hey! No talking! Stay focussed!" yelled a sentry.

The slaves quickly bowed their heads and obeyed.

"Orbison. Orbison (!)" a voice whispered.

Orbison turned his head to see his friend Murphy, his long, curly ginger hair sticking to his hot and bothered face. "We got any new plans yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet. To be honest, I'm starting to run dry on ideas." Orbison replied. "Meeting tonight, tell the others."

Murphy nodded.

"Are you guys planning to escape again?" asked the young boy next to Orbison.

"With any luck, yes."

"How is that going?"

"Well, we're still here aren't we..."

The young worker laughed slightly.

"But don't you worry, one day we'll get out of here and we'll get help. Before this fortress is done." Orbison said in a warming voice.

That evening, in Orbison's hut, he and his friends, Murphy, Hippete, Lloyd and Quill were sharing and brainstorming escape ideas with each other. After all their attempts had failed up to this point, they were beginning to run out of ideas.

"C'mon guys, there must be something we haven't thought of yet..." Orbison pondered.

"Like what! We've been trying for ages and we still haven't got anywhere!" Lloyd yelled, infuriated.

"Lloyd (!) Be Quiet (!)" Hippete whispered in a slight panic. "They'll hear you (!) Do you wanna get us killed (?)" Lloyd fell silent.

"Now, I know our plans haven't succeeded yet, but it's nobody's fault. In all the time Red Star and Dark Saga have had these concentration camps, no one has been known to escape. But we must have hope that we will one day. Otherwise, we'd die of shame. If anyone wants to give up, say so now." Said Orbison.

There was no objection. "Okay, wise choices. Everyone in this entire site is relying on us because we're the only ones who'll dare to try and get out of here. Now c'mon, concentrate. It has to be something that could potentially be flawless. Every aspect of an idea must be thoroughly shared and thought about between all of us. Something that you think may work is no good. Get those brains rattling." He said again.

As the evening went on, no one could think of a good enough plan. It got to the point when interaction ceased and they all lounged about, pondering, making little progress. Even Orbison was struggling to find motivation.

Then, suddenly, there was a knock at the door. All five of them nearly jumped from their skins as the tapping of the wood broke the silence. None of them said a word, until the person on the other side knocked again. Murphy put his head against the door.

"Who is it?" he whispered.

"Just open the door (!)" a voice from beyond the wood demanded, quietly.

"Password please." Murphy replied

"You gotta be kidding me, what password?"

"The password so that we don't open the door to guards."

"Do I sound like one of the guards to you?"

"Well, you could be held prisoner by guards" Murphy said, to which Orbison palmed his forehead.

"If I was held prisoner by the guards they could just force me to say the password if I knew it. And anyway, if I was one of the guards they would hardly bother knocking would they. Now open the freakin' door!" the voice sounded, infuriated.

Then, Orbison went to the door and pushed Murphy aside. "Out of the way, Murphy. You're not helping." He said.

"I'm just saying, we can't trust anyone around here." The ginger boy claimed, to which Orbison tutted.

He then went on to slowly lift the hatch like door and poke his head through. There was no one there. "Hey, hello? Who's there?"

"Down here." Said the voice. Orbison looked down and saw a small bush at the foot of the hut. The leaves were pushed aside to reveal the face of a tight faced boy with a pointy nose. He looked younger than the rest of them. "It's me (!)" he said, trying not to alert any attention from the guards.

"Stouty (!)... You realise that we're more or less on baron land. Do you have any idea how futile that disguise is?" The 18 year old commented.

"Hey, don't knock it. It's got me through to every section of the whole site. Now lemme in, I've got news for ya."

With that, Orbison stepped aside as Stouty entered the hut and removed his cover. Lloyd closed the door. Everyone emerged from their bunks and gathered round in a huddle, so as to keep the noise down.

"Right then, Stouty. We're in the middle of brainstorming here, so this had better be good." said Orbison.

"It's not like we're getting anywhere though is it (!)" Lloyd commented. Orbison gave him a quick glare to say shut up before turning back to Stouty.

"Listen in guys, got some bad news, very bad news and more... interesting news. Bad news is, security has been tightened round the camp, making escape attempts even tougher for you guys." Stouty explained.

"Oh man. Just when things were bad enough. We couldn't escape the way security was before." Hippete complained.

"Who ordered that?" asked Murphy.

"I heard two guards talking about it. They're orders from Zaulthook himself." Said Stouty.

Everyone gasped. "But Zaulthook never gives orders directly. He usually gives them through Carlos. What's going on here?" Orbison questioned.

"Well, listen to this. This is the interesting news. A couple of days ago, the northern sector was broken into by an outsider." Stouty informed.

"Who want break in here? This place is dump (!)" Quill stated.

"Well get this, not only was the northern sector broken into, the outsider was undetected and fought against an entire guard unit and won (!) Not only that, the intruder fought Carlos and beat him as well!" The pointy nosed boy continued.

"No way (!) Carlos? He beat Carlos too!" Lloyd interrogated.

"Not he, she." Stouty corrected.

"It was a woman?" Hippete asked.

"Better than that, it was a young girl, no older than some of us. I saw it all happen with my own eyes. I was hiding behind a dirt bank with Spike from the northern sector. She kicked ass, dude! I've never seen anything like it. All the guards had weapons, but she was bare fisted, and she _still_ beat them."

Everyone listened intently as Stouty explained to them what happened when Kiara fought and defeated Carlos. They were all mesmerised by what they heard, it was like the gods had smiled upon them.

"Where is she now?" asked Hippete.

"Uh... yeah... that's the not so good bit. While Carlos was getting his ass handed to him, he must have panicked and called for Zaulthook. Because the next thing we knew, she was going head to head against him." Said Stouty.

"What? Against Zaulthook? But he never comes down from the command tower." Said Murphy.

"Well, in this case he did. We all thought she was done for until she gave him a taste of knuckle as well. She put up a good fight, and this was against an agent! But, after that, Zaulthook got rid of her super fast." Stouty said.

"... You mean... she's dead?" asked Lloyd.

"No, she's not dead. We thought she was, but a bit later I saw them carrying her to the brig. If she was dead they would have burned her body. I have no idea why, but they must want her alive for some reason. She's been locked in the brig ever since. That's why security is so tight now, they have something to guard." Said the pointy nose boy.

"Oh man... if only Zaulthook hadn't shown up, she might have been able to bust everyone out of here." Murphy moaned.

"It sounds like she would have been a life saver..." said Lloyd.

The hut fell silent, everyone think of what could have been.

"Maybe that's it..." said Orbison finally breaking the silence.

Everyone looked puzzled. "What do you mean?" asked Hippete.

"Maybe this girl is what we need to get out of here. If she's been proven to be better than them, save for Zaulthook, then we wouldn't have to worry about getting caught trying to escape. Do you see? That girl might be our lucky break." Explained the 18 year old.

Everyone murmured in agreement. Orbison's statement uplifted the mood in the hut; they now had a new goal.

"All we have to do is put together a flawless rescue mission. It won't be easy though, especially if security is even tighter now. Stouty, spread the word, we're gonna need some help. Tell anyone who'll listen; we need to band together to get her out of there." He continued.

"But what about the security?" questioned Hippete.

"We'll think of a way, like i said, we'll need more than the five of us to do this." Answered Orbison.

"And what if she no want help us?" asked Quill.

"Do you think she would have broken in here and risked her life if she didn't want to help? And if we need to reason with her, she's stuck in here like the rest of us and we have a common enemy. I'm sure she'll agree." Orbison responded.

The mood was now upbeat and everyone in the hut was inspired. Maybe they could escape from the site.

"We'll get some shut eye for tonight. Stouty, you'd better get back to your hut. Tomorrow night, we'll start brainstorming a brand new plan to get her out of the brig. Then we need to come up with another escape plan, then we have to get help, we're playing a long game her guys." Said Orbison.

"Wait! Orbison! That was the other thing!" Stouty piped up.

"What other thing?" he asked.

"The VERY bad news. I've got a pen pal who writes me letters about what he's going through. At the moment, he's disguised as a soldier for Dark Saga and yesterday he gave me a tip-off."

The hut stopped and listened.

"It's bad guys, very bad. Even Red Star doesn't know this. He said in his last letter that Dark Saga has recently found out about the construction of this fortress, and they're not too happy. He said that they're planning an assault on this place, to blow it sky high and take all the workers and Red Star aligned soldiers with it!"

"What! Why didn't you tell us that earlier? Don't you think that that's important information?" Lloyd yelled.

"Lloyd, be quiet (!)" Hippete urged.

"How long until they get here?" Orbison asked.

"He said something like 2 weeks, but it could vary, Orbison. What are we going to do?" said Stouty.


End file.
